The Gypsy and the Devil
by Raven Hare
Summary: X2 AU - Kurt/OC....An alternate prequel and slightly AU movieverse.
1. Default Chapter

Rachel drove in silence along the thin black top road between two tiny nameless villages. The darkness closed in around her. Not even any houses. She shivered, despite the warm air blowing thru the air vents, remembering the scary stories she had been told as a child - what happens to little girls who wondered out at night by themselves.

She was still about 2 hours away from Cuxhaven, her final destination before leaving Germany. Occasionally, a pair of headlights would zip past her on the wrong side of the road. It still disoriented her, but she was so consumed with other thoughts, she hardly noticed.

The car, if you could call it that, a tiny nondescript Volkswagen, hummed to her a nameless, toneless tune. In America, this would have been be one of those circus cars all the clowns fell out of. She winced inwardly. The circus. The circus was what had gotten her into this mess. No, that wasn't fair. Hatred, Fear had gotten her into this mess. She glanced to her left and saw a mass of slumbering humanity under a dull green afghan in the cramped back seat. She was starting to worry. He should have been awake by now. She touched him lightly, while still keeping her eyes on the road. His chest rose and fell slightly. A sure signal he was still out cold. Thru the afghan, she could feel the cruel-looking metal collar that was around his neck. It was hidden under the afghan and she was just as glad for that. It hurt her just to look at it. It hurt her more to know that she was the reason he was wearing it. It looked like some kind of Star-Trek inspired dog collar. She had tried her best to get it off, but her stolen keys wouldn't budge the lock. "It's for his own protection"...those words sounded in her head and she gripped the stirring wheel tighter, her peripheral vision blurring with tears.

In her rear view mirror, a sight that slapped her back to the present and made her blood run cold, flashed in her eyes. The police car's strobe lights and siren warranted no argument. She pulled to the side of the road and got a temporary license out of her purse and waited. She was so scared, her breath hurt in her lungs and her hands went numb. '_I'm just a tourist_, _I'm just a tourist, I'm just a tourist'_ she kept repeating to herself. Maybe if she believed that, the officer would too. She reached behind her and pulled the green cover over black curly hair and a stray three-fingered hand. '_I'm just a tourist_...'

"Guten Abend." Rachel said as pleasantly as she could. "What seems to be the problem officer?" She smiled and hoped her southern drawl was as adorable to him as it had been to other Germans who begged her to "talk" for them. Hell, for that matter, she just hoped the cop spoke a little English. Because she was sure she spoke even less German.

"Guten Abend." He said, much more fluently she had. "Did you know your taillight in out?" The words were thick with German gravel, but understandable.

'_I'm just a tourist'_..."No sir, I had no idea. This isn't my car; I rented it in Frankfurt."

"May I see your driver's permit, please?" She handed it to him quickly, hopefully not too quickly. 'I'm just a tourist; I'm just a tourist." She also handed him her rental agreement. She pretended it was the bitter cold that made her hands tremble.

"Mrs. Grant?"

"Yes, Kim Grant" She smiled. Well, she was sure it was somebody's name. Just not hers.

There was a pregnant pause while the officer studied her and the license.

'_I'm just a tourist. I'm just a tourist. I'm just a tourist."_

Finally, he handed her permit back. "Whose back there?" He shined his light into the back seat, illuminating the lump under the afghan.

"My husband. Apparently, German beer is just a little too much for him." She laughed gamely, trying to keep her voice level as panic rose in her throat, threatening to strangle the breath out of her.

After a 2 second eternity, he backed away from the car and nodded slightly. "Let the rental company know about that taillight. Haben Sie eine gute Nacht"

"You have a good night too, officer. Vielen Dank" She rolled up her window, shutting out the freezing cold and the fear that had threatened to undo her. If he had wanted to see who was under the cover... She shivered, but not because of the frigid air outside.

As she put her blinker on and cautiously re-entered the abandoned road, she mind started to drift back in time. Back to when the trouble all started. To the day she set foot back inside the big top of the Munich Circus...

Haben Sie einen guten Abend..."Have a good evening."


	2. Coming Home

fDisclaimer: All Marvel characters are the property of Marvel Comics. I own nothing, but some spare time and an idea for a story that just wouldn't leave me alone! :-)

Loved the movie. Have loved 'The Incredible Nightcrawler' since I first read the Marvel Comics years ago. Kurt, in this story, however, is a little closer to the comic book version than the movie version. Most noticeably, he has the blue fur that earned him the nickname, "fuzzy elf." Just wanted for forewarn you.

Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews!! Keep them coming, please!

There was buzz on the grapevine. Rachel Donivan, the long lost niece of Madame Luminitsa was coming. Kurt Wagner remembered her fondly. A thin, knobby kneed thing that scampered around with his foster sister, Jemaine and him when she would visit her aunt. That was so long ago. Her mother had been Luminitsa's sister. She had married an American man, moved to America with him and had a child. Luminitsa had always said, her sister, Rawnie had a spell cast upon her. That was the only way Luminitsa could imagine Rawnie turning her back on her people and their ways. But Rachel was allowed to visit her Aunt Lumi during the summers and she would sit for hours and listen to stories the other children had long grown tired of about the life of the gypsies.

Kurt stayed hidden in the tree branches near the giant, brightly colored circus tent as the taxi pulled up. He didn't know if, or how, she would remember him. He crouched comfortably on a sturdy branch, his prehensile tail curled around it, absently. His devil-like appearance frightened people and he did not want to scare the life out of her if she didn't remember why she had nick named him 'Blue'. After her mother died, her father refused to let his daughter come visit them anymore. That was 20 years ago. A lot could change in 20 years.

Even the slight breeze died down and nature seemed to hold her breath in anticipation as a small crowd gathered curiously. Luminitsa anxiously stood in front of everyone. The taxi door swung open and a young woman stepped out. Kurt nearly fell out of his hiding spot. For some reason he had expected the same skinny 7-year-old he remembered to clamber out of the back seat. But, Rachel had grown up. She was still slender, but her jeans and sweater clung to soft curves. Her hair was long and dark, almost as dark as Luminitsa's had been in her youth. It tumbled down her back in soft curling waves. Her eyes were like two almond shaped pieces of ebony that drank in sunlight. Her skin was lighter than that of most gypsies. It was a warm honey-gold color.

She stood poised by the car door for a second, travel bag in hand, tall and picturesque, until she saw her aunt. She squealed with sheer delight and ran into waiting arms.

"Aunt Lumi!!" She cried running to the old woman, hugging her tightly. She had not seen this woman for more than twice as long as she had been alive, but, in an instant, the years between them vanished.

"My little one!" Lumi laughed. "Let me look at you, let me look at you." She turned Rachel around and made a disapproving sound. "You're so THIN. Didn't they feed you in America?"

Rachel laughed. "It is so good to see you! I've missed you."

Rachel's eyes lit up even more to see an old friend, "Jemaine!" The two women embraced and laughed for joy. "Look how you've grown up!!"

"How I've grown up?? Look how YOU'VE grown up." Jemaine countered. "Gus, take her bags to my tent." she ordered.

A large, dusty haired man, used to doing as he was told, picked up the few bags in the driver had taken out of the trunk and went ahead of the three women. They were oblivious to the pair of golden eyes that watched them from the safety of the trees.

After Rachel had settled in, Jemaine and Lumi gave her a tour of the Circus grounds. They would be opening up in a few days. The operation had grown so large, it took a dozen workers, plus local hired hands, a couple of days to get everything ready. Rachel looked around in amazement, but she always seemed to be looking for something in particular.

"What is it?" Lumi finally asked.

"Well, I was just wondering... I mean, I was hoping...I mean-"

"Spit it out!" Jemaine said. She had never been one to beat around the bush.

"Where's Kurt??" Rachel blurted. Then her eyes downcast, she added, "I thought he would've been here to meet me."

"Did I hear my name?" Came a voice out of the shadows. Kurt stepped forward, into the waning afternoon light that illuminated the huge tent. Outwardly, he smiled devilishly, but inwardly his heart was beating so fast he thought it might burst out of his chest. 'I'm your old friend; your Blue...Please, don't be afraid of me.' he prayed silently and clenched a blue furry hand.

Doubt stabbed at his heart only as long as it took Rachel to spin around. The instant she spotted him, her face lit up with unbridled joy and she cried out, "KURT!!" She ran across the ring separating them and flung her arms around him. "Oh Blue! I'm SO happy to see you!"

He laughed, relieved, and returned the embrace. Then picked her up and spun her off the ground. "It's so good to see you too, Liebe!"

Jemaine and Lumi joined them, and after a second he put her back down. Then it hit her. "Wait a minute! Where have you been?!" She pointed an accusing finger at him.

'Hiding.' He said in his heart. Then aloud, "I thought I'd save the best for last." He joked, striking a pose.

Jemaine and Rachel rolled their eyes and Lumi shook her head, laughing.

"Come on, we'll show you our act!" Jemaine said excitedly. She hadn't changed at all since she was 8 years old, mused Rachel pleasantly.

"Yes, you must tell us what you think." Kurt added. "We won't go thru the whole thing. Just the good parts!" He laughed.

"I've got all day!" She waved to them, good-naturedly, "Knock yourselves out!"

"Well, some of us have work to do." Lumi said, hugging her niece. "I'll leave you three to play. See you at dinner?"

"See you then." Rachel agreed.

Lumi shook her head one last time before leaving, "Far too thin...I don't know why girls these days think they have to be so thin..." She muttered to herself, walking out of the tent. Rachel couldn't help but chuckle and roll her eyes a little.

"Alright, climb up there and show me what you've got!" She challenged the two daredevils.

Jemaine grabbed Kurt around the waist and if Rachel hadn't seen what happened next with her own eyes, she would never have believed it in a million years. The two acrobats disappeared in a cloud of blue-gray smoke. Rachel remembered the slight of hand that circus performers used to amaze their audiences, but this wasn't a trick. They just...vanished. Rachel turned around 360-degrees trying to find her friends. Then she heard laughter from far above her.

When she looked up, there were her two friends waving from the top of the trapeze platform. "What in God's name was THAT??" She yelled up at them?

"That Fräulein, was a 'BAMF'." Kurt called down mischievously. Without any further explanation, Jemaine and Kurt started into their act, which was an amazing feat of teamwork and athletic ability, but it could not top the fantastic stun they had performed for her before ever leaving the ground.

When they finished up, they bowed low to their one-person audience who applauded wildly and gave a plea for encores. For an encore, Kurt teleported them back to the ground. Rachel almost fell over from the surprise.

"How are you doing that??" She asked incredulously. "No wires, no flash pots..."

"It's Kurt's trick." Jemaine answered. She gave his curly head a ruffle. "He's just full of surprises!" Kurt merely shrugged, mischievously.

"I'll say!" Rachel agreed. She started to inquire further, but the dinner bell was being rung and the rumble in her stomach reminded her it had been a long time since lunch. This trick could wait to be explained.

Arm in arm in arm, the three made there way to the dinner tables, laughing and joking as if the past 20 years had merely been 20 days. Rachel had come home.


	3. On the Road Again

Disclaimer - I still own nothing...

"I was sorry to hear about your father, Rachel." Lumi said. She tried to approach the subject gingerly. Dinner steamed in pots and bowls all around them. There were many other carnies eating with them, but the Lumi, Kurt, Jemaine, and Rachel all sat at one end of a long bench table.

Rachel arched her eyebrows, "Not THAT sorry, I'm sure." There was a slight smile in her voice.

"Well, just because I didn't like the man, doesn't mean I wanted him dead!" She countered defensively.

Rachel chuckled. "I know Lumi; I was just making fun." She nudged her aunt fondly and winked at Kurt across from her. Kurt found himself staring and tore his eyes away quickly. A blush crept up into his cheeks and he was grateful for his indigo fur.

"How long are you going to be staying with us?" asked Jemaine, sitting next to Kurt, completely oblivious to his discomfort.

"Yes, liebe. You're not going to be running away anytime soon, I hope." Kurt forced himself to speak, his gaze returning to her. There was a slight buzz in his ears and everything that was not Rachel was disappearing from his reality. 'Stop this fantasy!' he ordered himself sternly and shook his head ever so slightly.

"Well, actually, I was going to tell you tomorrow, but since you brought it up..." She cleaned corner of her lips with her napkin and continued. "Say 'hello' to the Munich Circus' newest employee!" She held her arms open wide and laughed.

Lumi clapped her hands in sheer delight! "I don't believe it!" she cried like a school girl.

"You'll be here! Doing what??" Jemaine was literally jumping in her seat. "Are you going to be in the aerial act??" She felt anything worthwhile in her circus revolved around the acrobats on the trapeze.

"No way!" Rachel put up her hands. "You know how scared I was of heights! It's only gotten worse with age. I'll let the two of you have all the glory there!"

Kurt felt a twinge of disappointment, to spite himself. It would be wonderful to work in the air with her. But he remembered how terrified she had been the one time he and Jemaine had talked her into climbing up the trapeze pole with them. It had taken 3 hours and 4 adults to get her back down. He still felt guilty about that. The blush rose back up in his cheeks.

"No, I'm going to the camp's Veterinarian." she finished.

"But we couldn't afford a full time Vet." Jemaine argued. "We asked for one, but it just wasn't in the budget."

"I know. But I didn't ask for a salary. Father left me enough inheritance that I don't really need one." She shrugged. "Doesn't get any better than that. They get a vet they desperately needed and I get to be with the ones I love again."

Kurt imagined that she stared at him a moment longer than anyone else. The insane buzzing sound was getting louder.

Life settled into a comfortable, if ever changing, routine. Rachel proved true her Romani heritage. She took to the nomadic traveling as if she had done it all her life. She had bought a large RV and converted part of it into lab, for the animals in her charge. The front of the RV looked like a mobile vet clinic. The Munich Circus didn't have a huge number of animals, but there were enough to keep her busy. The rest of the RV was for her living space. She was not comfortable driving so large a contraption, so Kurt volunteered to be her 'house chauffer' as he called it. Traveling from town to town they caught up on old times, Recounting how their paths had brought them to where they were now. They spent hours shooting the breeze and sometimes, they spent hours in comfortable silence.

It was still dark when they pulled up stakes in Stuttgart and headed for Heidelberg. Kurt sat in the driver's seat of Rachel's RV. His oddly shaped hands controlling the huge vehicle with the greatest of ease. Rachel marveled at how he could maneuver it places so tight, she could have reached out the window on either side and touched the wall or vehicle next to them.

"So, Blue. Anyone special I should know about?" Rachel teased. She sat cross-legged in the passenger captain's chair, turned so she face Kurt.

Kurt checked the blind spot before pulling out onto the highway. They were about mid way in the caravan. "No." He said brusquely, shaking his head.

Rachel frowned, her eyes narrowing. She gave an open handed gesture. "Just - 'no'. Not even a little? Not even a might-be, could-be, would've-like-to-have-been??" It wasn't hard to tell when Kurt was hiding something.

After a moment of silence, Kurt sighed. "Just one." He resigned quietly, his eyes staring hard at the road ahead.

"Who?" She asked, leaning forward.

"Who do you think?" He replied a little bitterly. He glanced at her quickly, his gold eyes flashing.

"Oh." She whispered quietly in realization. She stared intently at the hem of her jeans. "Jemaine."

"Jemaine." he echoed.

"No chance?"

"No."

There was a long silence. Then, Rachel screwed up her face, "Sorry."

Kurt looked over at her and shrugged. "I think I'll live." Kurt knew a part of him would always wish things could have been different for him and Jemaine, but she only loved him as a brother. Nothing would ever change that. He had come to terms with that years ago. But, now, having someone to confide that in, somehow, made it easier to bear.

They drove in silence for a few minutes. The sun had just come up over the horizon. The landscape around them was slowly coming to life.

"How about you?" He asked.

"How about me what?" she shot back.

"Anyone I should know about?"

Rachel blew air thru her lips sarcastically. "Yeah, right, they're lined up out the door. Didn't you see them on the way in?"

"You know what I mean!" he scolded good-naturedly. "Is there someone back in America?"

Rachel leaned back and shrugged. "Not really. After Dad died and willed me his 20 stock interest in Donivan Enterprises, I had men coming out of the freakin' wood works after me." She made a sour face. "He was the founder and CEO of Donivan Enterprises. They have their hands into everything. Father made sure I would never hurt for money, but it was the stock he left me that had made me such a hot commodity. 20 isn't a lot, but when it is 'preferred owner' stock, it can be used to cast a tie-breaking vote."

"You mean there's no one?" He probed further. "I find that a little hard to believe." He smiled at her indulgently. "Not even a little?"

"Not anymore. I was engaged, but that ended in disaster!" She shook her head at the memory.

"You were engaged? What happened??"

"I suffered a bout of temporary insanity!" she admitted. "No, he was the son of one of my dad's business friends. We looked good on paper, unfortunately, we had different faiths, I'm Catholic and he's Narcissistic." She crossed her arms in front of her. "Jerk." she finished as an after thought. She started to speak further, but stopped.

"Are you really Catholic?" Kurt's ears perked up.

"Uh-huh. Tell me a Catholic joke I haven't heard." She ribbed at him. "Two priests and a Rabbi go into a bar-" she started out, jokingly.

"Oh, no. It's just, well...I'm Catholic." He touched the crucifix that hung around his neck.

Rachel's eyes got wide, "Get Out!" she exclaimed. "We'll have to go to mass together."

"I'd like that." Kurt answered more softly. Looking at her for several moments.

Rachel smiled and stared back, then busied herself with a map on the dashboard.

They fell back into a companionable silence as the caravan marched towards Heidelberg.


	4. A Friend in Need

Disclaimer - As much debt as I am in, you'd think I'd own SOMETHING.....  
  
Thanks again for all the positive feedback! The Action/Adventure part is coming, it's just taking a little while. Thanks for being patient!  
  
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Rachel finished up her rounds of animal tending, then wondered around the camp alone. It was late and only a few were still up, mostly the lighting techs. She heard them working from outside the main tent. All different kinds of lights flickered off and on; turning the huge open doorway of the tent into a multi colored rainbow. She needed some time to think. She hadn't done much of that in the past 2 months. That was how long her father had been dead. His death drew dozens of well-dressed mourners. It drew even more sharks, trying to take advantage of the power void her father had left behind. While he had made sure she would never have to worry about money after his death, there was little love lost between them. She regretted that. He had always been so distant. She could never seem to reach him after her mother died. It was as if he died in that car with her, that awful day.   
  
A week after the funeral, a twist of fate, in the form of an internet-job bulletin board, had brought her information that the Munich Circus was looking for a 'part time' vet. She immediately called the circus owners and told them she wanted the job. No, actually that she told them that she HAD to have that job. When she told them she'd do it pro bono, they were hooked. The next week, she was in Hamburg, applying for her work visa and a veterinarian's license to practice in Germany. The week after that she was packing and calling her aunt. The next week she was here. She left her old life in the hands of a board of directors. She had put the antebellum estate in Georgia up for sale 'before the corpse was even cold' she had overheard the servants say.  
  
In short, she had run away. She chuckled to herself, fingering a tent wall. "I've run away and joined the circus." she whispered.  
  
"Rachel?" The voice came from the darkness. Kurt's voice. It was melodic and soothing against her frayed mind. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped into the light. "May I join you?"  
  
"Blue." She smiled at him. "Yes, please. I'd like that." She had forgotten many things about the circus, but not Kurt. Even as a child, he had felt things so deeply and he empathized so well, that, she had never had to tell him what was wrong for him to understand. Was that why he was here now?   
  
Kurt fell in place beside her and they walked in silence for a few moments. "It's looks like we'll have good weather for the show." he mentioned looking up at the sky, his hands clasped behind his back.  
  
Rachel merely nodded. She followed his gaze upward. "I missed seeing the stars. There are too many lights back home to see the stars." Her voice was hollow and distant.   
  
"What is wrong, Rachel?" He stopped and turned to face her. He resisted the urge to touch her. To somehow try to physically take away some of her sadness. Things would change if he touched her. And he was too afraid they would change for the worse.  
  
They stood there for awhile, her eyes cast towards the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze. Finally, she sighed and looked up at him. His eyes glowed softly in the darkness. His ebony hair curled and swayed slightly in the breeze. His face was patient and kind. She was suddenly struck by how handsome he was in his own way.  
  
She looked away. "I guess, I am just missing my father a little. I wish...I wish we had been closer. He just wasn't the same after mom died" She wrapped her arms around herself, only partially because of the night chill.  
  
Kurt nodded. "I'm sorry, liebe. But he is at peace, now. Perhaps, he is with your mother again." He touched his crucifix, lightly. It was a small consolation, but it was all he could offer.  
  
She glanced at him and smiled her sad appreciation. "I hope so." Then suddenly, she dropped her head again and hugged herself tighter.  
  
There was an awkward silence.   
  
"You're cold. Here, take my jacket." He commanded suddenly, taking off his worn, gray jacket. Before she could refuse, he put it around her. While his hands were still on her shoulders, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head up against his shoulder. At first, Kurt was totally taken by surprise. Then, he returned the embrace. He held her a little tighter than friendship warranted, but she did not complain or pull away. Whatever was in her heart, whatever pain she harbored, she would tell him eventually. But right now, she just needed to know she was wanted here. That she had a home here.  
  
After a long time, she finally pulled away from him, sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Kurt-" She started.  
  
"Sorry for what?" he interrupted. He put his arm around her in a gesture of friendship. "Your life has been turned upside down." They started walking towards her RV. "You have my shoulder anytime you need it."   
  
She put her head against that shoulder and slid an arm back around his waist. "How do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Be exactly what I need?" She answered. "You've always been. Even when we were children."  
  
"It's a gift." he grinned. Finally, he was rewarded with a small sincere smile. He would not have traded that smile for all the treasures on Earth.  
  
A few minutes later they were in front of the RV. There was quiet all around them.   
  
"Gute Nacht." Kurt whispered, his arm releasing her shoulders, a little reluctantly.  
  
"Good Night, Kurt." she whispered back, she squeezed his waist before letting go. She handed back his jacket. "Thank you."   
  
He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay with her, even if it meant standing outside that parked RV all night. But fantasy had no place in his world. He was a friend to her, perhaps even her best friend, but that is all he had ever been and it was all he could ever be. To wish for anything more, was just to cause himself unnecessary heartache.   
  
She opened the RV's door, then turned back around. Impulsively, she slid her hand to his cheek and kissed him. It was not a passionate kiss, but not a platonic kiss either. It was a kiss that stood in it's own classification. And, it happened so fast, he barely had time to react.   
  
"Good night, Blue" she said and disappeared thru the door.   
  
Then she was gone, leaving Kurt standing alone, two uniquely shaped fingers touching his lips, energized by the kiss that lingered there. Slowly, he turned away, in total confusion. But, after a few steps, he turned back and smiled...Well, *anything* is possible. 


	5. To Tell the Truth

Disclaimer - I don't own any Marvel Characters. But I sure am having fun with one of them!!  
  
Can I get an "ahhhh..." for this chapter? :-)  
  
Just FYI, I will be upgrading this story to an R rating in the next few chapters. Themes will be getting very dark soon and I want to be on the safe side. I hope that doesn't upset anyone, but this is just how the story played out in my head. (Remember, Kurt did not volunteer to become Stryker's assassin.)  
  
Thanks for the feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, I would appreciate any constructive criticism ....this is a learning experience for me.  
  
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Days went by. Rachel never made mention of the kiss she gave Kurt. In fact, she acted the same as ever towards him. It was enough to make him wonder if he had imagined the whole thing.   
  
The bon fire blazed up into the night sky. A ritual at the end of every "last" show in a particular town. Partly to burn the garbage that had collected over the week, partly to be the focal point of a party. Music blared out of a boom box somewhere and Jemaine and her boyfriend sat on a blanket on the ground. She was sitting in his lap, giggling over some private joke. She blinked when she saw Kurt. He never came to these things. She secretly speculated that he was hoping to see someone in particular here. Sure enough, he stood there, his tail swishing slowing from side to side, long enough to spot Rachel and waited to see if she would notice him. She grinned and waved him over. She excused herself from the company of two men vying for her attention and met him half way.  
  
"Come sit with me." She offered, grinning. Taking his hand, she pulled him towards a shallow log. Her face was slightly flushed and Kurt could vaguely smell alcohol on her breath. He frowned slightly. He had wanted to talk with her, but not if she was intoxicated.   
  
"Actually, I was just passing thru." He declined.  
  
"Oh." She was obviously disappointed. Well, maybe if she was a little tipsy, it might actually make this easier. He studied her for a moment.  
  
"Would you like to walk with me?" He counter offered.   
  
His heart fluttered a little when she grinned, "Lead on!" she ordered, abandoning the party. She put her drink in a make shift garbage can of which consisted of a plastic garbage bag hung on a tree branch. Then followed him down a little path, out of the circle of firelight.  
  
Jemaine smiled, knowingly, as she watched her two friends leave together.  
  
The moon was high over head and the temperature was actually quite pleasant. They made their way down the path away from the bon fire. Tall trees rose up on either side of the path, making a natural canopy of leaves. Moonlight dappled the path under their feet. Rachel seemed a little euphoric, probably from the liquor.   
  
Finally, he broached the subject. There was no easy way to bring it up. "Rachel, I wanted to talk to you....last week...when I walked you home. You kissed me." He didn't know where to go from there. He had rehearsed this conversation from every possible angle. But suddenly, he couldn't remember his lines.  
  
Rachel bowed her head, like a child being scolded. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that should I?" Then she looked up at him intensely and added quickly, "You're not upset, are you??"  
  
"Upset?? No!" He shook his head earnestly. "I just-I guess, I just wanted to know why." They had stopped walking, she put her hands in her back pockets and shrugged, staring up at him.   
  
"I don't know. I guess, I just wanted to." She shrugged again, searching for the right words.   
  
"Well, was that a 'friendship' kiss, or....." his voice trailed off, his hands making an inquiring gesture. His heart was pounding in his ears. It was as if his very life hung on her next words.   
  
They were both very still. She seemed to be on the verge of sprinting away if her words were not what he wanted to hear. Neither of them wanted to be hurt.  
  
"Maybe, not entirely..." she admitted slowly and very quietly. She was looking at him, but wouldn't meet his eyes. She took her hands out of her back pockets and clutched them in front of her chest.   
  
Kurt moved closer to her. He touched her hand gently. She stared up at him. She seemed frozen in place. She unlaced her hands and he took her hand in his. His other hand caressed her face. He slid his fingers from her chin, up her jaw, to cup her cheek tenderly. She tilted her head up as he leaned down. His lips touched hers softly. They kissed like that for several moments, their lips moving against each other, exploring this new emotion between them. Then, she leaned into him, her hands traveling up to his neck. The feel of Kurt's short blue fur under her hands, only heightened her senses. He pulled her close, one arm around her waist, one traveling up her back, lost in her soft, thick hair. Instinctively, he deepened his kiss. Her lips parted to accept him, eagerly and longingly.  
  
After a few more moments, they reluctantly broke the kiss to breathe. Rachel's eyes were glassy and there was a small, wonderful smile on her lips. Kurt still held her close and she leaned up to meet his mouth again, which he gave her freely. This was perhaps the best moment of his life. A part of him could not believe that this could be real. That she would want him, when she could have anybody she desired. But, yet, here she was, in his arms, warm and willing.   
  
Rachel did not want this to end; she did not want Kurt to ever let go of her. After they broke their kiss again, she studied every detail of Kurt's face. She wanted to burn this moment into her memory. She wanted to be alone with him in this happiness forever. If she could have, she would have willed time to stop entirely.  
  
But, even as they savored that moment, there were sounds of intruders making their way down the path they stood on. They both turned towards the sounds of voices growing louder in the distance. Rachel sighed irritably. But Kurt only smiled.  
  
"Would you like to go somewhere a little more private, liebling?" He asked her, stroking a lock of her dark brown hair.  
  
Rachel nodded and started to head further down the path, but Kurt stopped her. "I'll show you a trick..." He offered, his smile growing into a devilish grin.  
  
"A trick?" Then her eyes flew open, "You mean you would .....do that thing you do in your show?" Kurt nodded. She was excited by the thought. Often she had wondered what it would be like to have Kurt teleport her, but didn't dare ask for a demonstration. After all, he wasn't a carnival ride! "That would be so much fun! What do I do??"  
  
"Just put your arms around me." He encircled her waist again. "It can make some people a little ill." He warned.  
  
"I have a strong stomach." She reassured him, locking her arms around his neck.  
  
"And there is the smell of brimstone..." he added.   
  
He was teasing her now. He saw how eager she was to see this "trick" of his, and he was having fun keeping her in suspense. The voices were almost upon them.   
  
Rachel stamped her foot impatiently. "Brimstone doesn't stink! Camels - camels stink. And they spit, too!"   
  
Kurt laughed. "Ok, but don't say I didn't warn you." With that they were gone. When the two carnies came around the corner, all they saw was a disappearing cloud of blue smoke and the sound of a "bamf!" 


	6. Together

I still own nothing.......  
  
This a pretty long chapter. Hope everyone enjoys it!  
  
It seemed to Rachel that she was on the path and then she was in the living room of her RV. There was no way to explain it. It was very disorienting. And, while it didn't leave her ill, it left her dizzy. She felt her knees give out from under her.   
  
"Rachel!" Kurt cried out alarmed. He caught her as she slumped away from him. "Liebe." He searched her face, concerned. He had teleported others, mostly Jemaine as part of their act and he felt it was perfectly safe. No one had ever fainted on him.  
  
She patted his chest reassuringly, "I'm all right. Just a little dizzy. Probably the alcohol" Then with mounting enthusiasm, "That was GREAT!" she giggled. "How do you do that??"  
  
He led her over to the corner of her sofa. "I just do." He shrugged. "I don't know how it works." He sat down next to her and settled back into the soft pillows. Rachel turned to face him. There were no lights on in the RV. Just shafts of moonlight that had found their way in in between the curtains. He made no move to bring her closer. He let her decide what she wanted to do next.   
  
In one fluid movement, she stretched out on the sofa pulling him down with her. "Where were we?" she grinned, nuzzling his neck. Kurt growled softly and ran his hand up and down her side, feeling the soft curve of her hip. Then he captured her mouth again, which she surrendered eagerly .  
  
Daybreak found Kurt standing reluctantly at Rachel's front door, kissing her deeply, one more time. He could not get enough of her. She was an addiction. The more he got, the more he wanted.  
  
"You don't have to leave." she offered when they came up for air.  
  
"Yes, I do." he sighed. "I have to take a shower, get dressed and get the day started." With a slight flourish he added, "The show must go on..."  
  
Rachel ran her fingers thru his hair, he closed his eyes, relishing the feeling. "All right then." she finally conceded, stepping away from him slightly. "I'll see you later?"   
  
"Absolutely." He grinned. He stole one more kiss then started walking towards his tent, hands in his pockets, humming a little song. His tail curled happily.   
  
Watching him go, the beautiful gypsy resisted the urge to run after him. Finally, she too, turned to face the day. "Wow!" she grinned to the empty RV. She hugged herself giddily and went to change clothes.  
  
Jemaine eyed Kurt suspiciously from the trapeze net as he entered the tent., half an hour late.   
  
"Nice to see you could make it." she called out to him. She had poked her head in Kurt's tent early that morning and saw that his bed had not been slept in. Her curiosity was about to get the best of her.  
  
The furry, blue German ruffed up the back of his hair. "Sorry, I was up late last night." He offered lamely, helping her down from the net.  
  
"I'll bet...." Jemaine countered. Kurt said nothing. He just went into his stretches. Finally, the suspense was too much. "Well?!?" she exclaimed at last.   
  
"Well what?" He straightened up and looked at her as calmly as he could.  
  
"Don't you play coy with me, Kurt Wagner" she pointed a finger at him. "I saw you and Rachel leave the party and your bed hasn't been slept in all night."   
  
"How do you know that?" he countered suspiciously, but didn't deny it.  
  
Jemaine shook her finger at him again, "Don't change the subject." Then she tried a different tactic. "Come on, tell me!" She begged. She took his arm and shook it, "You're killing me over here!"  
  
"Rachel and I spent a good deal of time together last night." he finally gave her a little crumb of information, knowing that would only make her even hungrier to know more.  
  
"So......" she fished for more. "Did you kiss?" she teased.  
  
"A gentleman never tells." Kurt admonished her and started climbing up the pole.  
  
Jemaine waved off his comment, "Ok, but did you kiss??"  
  
Kurt looked down at her with a wicked grin, "Can't you tell?" and then continued to climb. He could have teleported, but he was in such a good mood, he didn't mind doing things the "hard" way.  
  
Jemaine scampered up the ladder double time trying to catch up to him. Finally at the top, she continued her interrogation. "Tell me more." She demanded.  
  
"What more is there to tell?" He replied glibly as he checked out the trapeze bars.   
  
"Ok, you kissed. Did you - you know...hit a home run???" She probed. Her face was hopeful.  
  
Finally Kurt sighed and turned to face her. "We didn't have sex if that is what you mean. I spent the night in her RV and, yes, we made out like two horny teenagers and we talked - a lot. But that's it." Then he looked at her seriously, "Don't put this out on the grapevine, ok Jemaine?"  
  
Jemaine held up her right hand. "Scout's honor." she pledged.  
  
Kurt rolled his eyes, "You were never a scout." But he let it go. They had work to do.  
  
That evening, Rachel came to see Kurt perform. She had watched him before, from time to time, but normally she stayed behind the scenes, giving all the animals a once over before sending them out. No one in the circus that size had just one job. She found herself also employed as a costumer mender, animal groomer, cook, baby sitter...the list went on and on. But no matter how busy she was, she always made sure the animals were fit to perform. A loose horseshoe, or a piece of debris caught in a paw could cause a normally docile animal to become impossible to handle. But tonight, she stood just outside the curtain and watched. All eyes were on the acrobats as "the demon" came down and swept away the virtuous nun. Jemaine's white silk robes fluttered as Kurt flung her to the next trapeze bar. Even though she knew their routine almost as well as they did, she still caught her breath when Jemaine "fell" and was caught midway by a teleporting Kurt. Heights were her biggest phobia. If she got on anything higher that a stepladder, she panicked. Fitting, that her boyfriend would be a trapeze artist. She mused over that for a moment. Is that what Kurt was now, her boyfriend? He might not think so. She hated the uncertainty of a new relationship.  
  
At that point, Kurt looked down from the platform and spotted Rachel. He raised his hand slightly, so as not to be too noticeably. Rachel smiled and waved back, blushing. Just then, Shiva's handler, Niklas, called to her to help him. Shiva was a Sumatran Tiger with an unpredictable nature. She turned to go help, then turned back around and impulsively blew him a kiss before disappearing behind the curtain.  
  
After the show, a group of performers sat around a small campfire. They were laughing and talking about the show. Rachel sat towards the back of the circle, lost in thought. She jumped when Kurt touched her shoulder.   
  
"This seat taken?" He asked, pointing next to her.   
  
"Yes, but you can sit there till Jemaine gets back." She teased.   
  
Kurt snorted as he crouched down into a sitting position. "Jemaine can find somewhere else to sit." That made Rachel laugh. Then he reached an arm around her tentatively. "Is that all right?" He whispered. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable.   
  
Rachel gave him a dazzling smile and leaned against him. "It is more that all right" He gave a little relieved sigh and slowly rubbed her back up and down. Those who noticed gave them little grins of approval and went on about their conversations.  
  
Over the next several weeks, Kurt spent more and more time with Rachel. Finally, he stopped putting up his own tent all together. What was the point? Everyone knew he slept in the RV. And though, no one actually came out and said so, he felt certain they all knew he wasn't sleeping on the sofa. He knew their sleeping arrangements went against their faith, but he felt more content and complete then he felt guilty. The feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the taste of her lips, when they made love, all made him feel whole and happier than he had ever remembered.  
  
A thunderstorm raged in the night as Rachel moved about in the vet lab. The storm had blown out the power lines and she had turned on the RV's generator, so vials of medicine that had to be refrigerated would not ruin. To keep from stressing the generator, she only kept a small lamp turned on in the lab and one in the living area of the RV. Her hair was up in a ponytail, out of her face. Her shapeless nightshirt did nothing to detract from her beauty in Kurt's eyes as he watched her. In fact, he found it adorable in a tomboyish sort of way. She held a vial in her hand, double checking the label.  
  
"Nightcap?" he joked, coming up behind her and encircling her waist. He kissed her neck as she leaned her head back against him.  
  
"In a manner of speaking." Rachel agreed. "Shiva's breakfast cocktail, medetomidine hydrochloride. I'm getting it ready for tomorrow."  
  
Kurt chuckled. "What is medetomidine hydrochloride, exactly?" He released her as she took out a needle and syringe. He sat down at the tiny booth type table.  
  
"A tranquilizer." Rachel pulled the syringe down and watched the clear fluid fill into the tube. Then she capped the needle and put it and the bottle back up. She sighed, "Shiva is getting worse. I've arranged for her to have x-rays tomorrow while we are here in Munich." She sat down across from him.  
  
"What's wrong with her?" Kurt asked. He knew Shiva had some health problems, but they had never seemed all that serious.   
  
"Her seizures are getting worse and I think she is loosing some feeling in her left legs ." Rachel's eye brows knitted into a worried frown. "She is almost to the point where she can't perform." She started to speak further, but stopped short. She had classic symptoms of a brain tumor, but there weren't many surgeons skilled in brain surgeries on big cats. If it was a tumor, even if it were benign, it could still spell a death sentence for Shiva.  
  
Kurt got up and knelt in front of her. He put a comforting hand on her knee. "She's going to be all right. She has a very capable doctor."  
  
Rachel knew Kurt had no idea how serious this could be, but she still smiled at the compliment. "Thanks." She smiled at Kurt and tried to get up, but he didn't move. "Are you going to keep me trapped in this booth all night?" she joked.   
  
Kurt rose high enough to meet her eye to eye. "I have you right where I want you." He said in a mock dangerous voice, purposely thickening his accent. Without warning, he ran his fingers up her ribs, tickling her mercilessly.  
  
Rachel shrieked and thrashed about wildly. "Stop it!!!!" She cried, twisting this way and that, trying to evade his tormenting hands. "Oh God, Kurt! Quit!!" She howled. She managed to wiggle under the table and came out the other side. Kurt blocked her escape to the front of the motor home. He laughed and lunged for her. She, in turn, squealed and ran to the other end of the RV. She tried to shut the bedroom door, but he got his body in the door jam too quickly. They laughed hysterically as he chased her around the confines of the little room. Up, over, and around the bed they raced in a mad dance. Finally he caught her from behind and picked her up. She shrieked and tossed her head, slapping him with her long ponytail, which had almost come completely loose in the struggle. With a triumphant cry he fell back on the bed, pulling her down with him. She kicked her long tan legs, trying to gain any kind of traction. She wiggled her way to face him, trying to lock his hands with her own to keep them from tickling her any further. He settled his weight on her and held her hands down on either side of her head. They were both flushed, though Rachel was the only one who showed it. She face was red and she was breathless. A giggle she escaped her between breaths as she started calming down.   
  
For long moments, Kurt stared at her intently. The storm closed in around the RV. The lightening seemed to mirror the emotions in his eyes. He leaned down and took her mouth with his own. She kissed him back, her wide grin disappearing into something more intense. She held her breath, caught in the moment.  
  
"I love you." He said softly. It was as much a statement of fact as a declaration of affection.  
  
"I love you." She repeated back in affirmation. She slipped a hand out of his grasp and stroked his face tenderly. He leaned his head against her hand, lost in the sensation.   
  
They were in the eye of the storm as it raged all around them and they felt that nothing could touch them. That nothing could undo them.   
  
They were wrong.  
  
Change is an intrical part of life. Without change, life ceases. It affects everything, keeping life in a continual state of transformation. Sometimes it creates, sometimes it destroys. Change came into Kurt and Rachel's life in the form of a certified letter from board of directors of Donivan Enterprises. 


	7. All Good Things

Hope everybody had a GREAT 4th!   
  
I do not own any Marvel characters or anything related to Marvel. And they are probably very relieved about that.  
  
Please R & R. I love feedback!......  
  
Rachel stared at the large white envelope, ominously. A certified envelope could only mean one thing. A vote. Donivan Enterprises was not a part of her life anymore. The Munich Circus was her life now, and Kurt was at the center of it. She ripped the envelope open, almost angrily.   
  
Sure enough, the smooth, clean type set of the letter informed her that a vote was being held and her 20% stock interest was being called in to settle a dead lock. Enclosed was all the information pertaining to the issue at hand.  
  
A dull throb rose up in her temples as she started thumbing thru the binder. She wasn't the least bit interested in what Donivan Enterprises was doing these days. As she flipped thru the pages, she gleaned that there was a proposed business venture with the National Security Division working on some kind of biological detection technology for mutants. She understood why the vote was so close. The "mutant problem" was a touchy one and only radicals on either side voiced strong opinions.   
  
She heard the door open and Kurt breezed in with his usual grace and agility. "She lives!" He cried, teasing her. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. She returned it generously. He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Want another cup?" he offered.  
  
"Yes, please." she yawned, handing him her mug. She had spent most of the night helping one of the camp's children. Her Shepard mix was delivering her first litter. Out of five, all but one had lived. Not too bad for a first litter. Rachel yawned again. Normally, she could be up all night, catch an hour's sleep and then work all day. She figured her age must have finally caught up with her because she was nearly exhausted this morning.   
  
"What's that?" Kurt asked conversationally. He sat down across from her, pushing her cup to her.   
  
"Thanks." She said gratefully, squeezing his hand before he retracted it. "This is a monster of Donivan Enterprises." She sighed flipping thru a hundred or so pages of tiny type. "I get to go vote yea or nay on this multi million dollar deal. Don't I feel special!?" She threw the binder down sarcastically.  
  
Kurt picked up the binder and opened it to a random page. His eyes stopped on the bold words midway down. 'Mutant Registration Act.' "What is this million-dollar project exactly?" he asked staring at the words. He had read about the law they were trying to enact in America. It gave him an uneasy feeling.  
  
Rachel cocked her head. "I would have to read the whole thing, but it seems that Donivan Enterprises has been approached by the National Security Division to develop some kind of 'mutant finder' technology. I guess so they will have it ready if/when they ever pass the Mutant Registration Act." She took a sip of her coffee, long slender fingers wrapped the bright red ceramic container.  
  
"How do you feel about that?" Kurt's voice was tense, but Rachel was oblivious. His eyes still glued to the words, 'Mutant Registration Act.'  
  
"I guess it's a good idea." she shrugged in answer.  
  
Kurt put down the papers, "What's a good idea?" His focus was completely on her now.  
  
"To have a way to locate mutants." she answered innocently.  
  
"To hunt them down?" His voice was terse now.  
  
"Well, no....not exactly." Rachel was confused by Kurt's demeanor. "But some mutants are dangerous to the rest of us." She offered in explanation. "I know, I would feel better if we knew where they all were."  
  
"How can you say that?" He was openly angry now. He stood up abruptly. "A gypsy, of all people, should know what kind of fear and hatred prejudice breeds!"  
  
"Kurt, there's nothing to get angry over." She said defensively. "I'm not saying we should shoot mutants on sight. They should have rights. But some of these mutants....they are just evil."   
  
"Are they evil because they are mutants? Or are they mutants because they are evil?" He voice was now low and dangerous.  
  
Rachel knitted her eyebrows in bewilderment "Sweetheart, I was in New York when that mutant, Magneto, attacked Liberty Island." She shuddered at the memory. "There was nothing anyone could do to stop him. How can you let people with that kind of power just run around loose?" She tried to reason with him.  
  
Kurt looked at her as if she was something dirty. "I can not believe that you would support something like this." He picked up the binder and flung it back down on the table.  
  
Rachel jumped when it landed on the table with a loud 'THUMP!' She stood up and faced off with him, her hands spread open. She desperately did not want this to become a fight. "Kurt, please calm down. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I mean, My God, it's not like you're a - " the word died in her throat. For the first time, Rachel saw her Blue, her childhood friend, the man she loved, the rest of the world did. Everything about him that had always just been uniquely 'Kurt,' now had a name, a label, a curse -   
  
Mutant.  
  
"Go ahead. Finish." Kurt's voice was torn between pain and anger. "I'm not a what?"  
  
"Kurt - " she started weakly. She felt light headed, her breakfast threatening to come back up.  
  
"Why don't you just put big yellow stars on us and parade down the center of town?" His voice was becoming angrier and louder. He clenched his fists in livid balls.  
  
"Kurt, I'm sorry." She pleaded. "I didn't mean it like that." she tried to take his arm, but he jerked away from her.  
  
"But you did, liebe." He stared her down. "You meant every word of it." His voice was lethal. He turned to the door and opened it.  
  
"Where are you going?" She cried, rushing to the door.  
  
He didn't answer.  
  
"Please," she begged. "Please don't leave like this. We can talk this over." She tried again to reach for him, but he shook her off. Without a word he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.  
  
Rachel sat back down in the booth, heavily. She was completely still and silent, except for tears that slid, one by one, down her cheek.  
  
  
  
A week later, Kurt was laying on his bed in his tent, engrossed in a book. He looked up from his bed to see a small white flag being waived in the slitted doorway. He sighed and closed his book.   
  
"Can I come in?" Rachel asked timidly. Kurt sat up and motioned her inside. She stepped in, shaking off the chill of the night air; summer was fading fast.   
  
They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Rachel cleared her throat. "Kurt, I don't know what to say, except I'm sorry." Her voice was tired and sincere.  
  
Kurt watched her. More than anything, he wanted to take her in his arms and forget any of this ever happened. But, how could he hold her, knowing she hated and feared the very thing he was? What future was there in that?   
  
He nodded, but said nothing.  
  
"Kurt, say SOMETHING." She cried, exasperated. She threw her hands up. "Say you hate me or you love me or ...or anything, but I can't take this anymore." She was close to tears. She knelt down on the ground beside his bed. With a hand on his leg, she looked up earnestly in his face. "Kurt, I love you. I'll do anything to make things right between us, again."  
  
With a heavy heart, Kurt caressed her face. "I don't hate you, Rachel. I could never hate you. But, I don't think this can be undone." His voice was reserved, but not unkind.   
  
"I don't believe that." She countered. "There has to be something." She searched his face for answers. "I'll vote against the mutant project." She offered.   
  
Kurt shook his head. "If Donivan Enterprises doesn't build that technology, some one else will." He motioned around his tent, "the problem isn't out there." Then, pointed between them, "The problem is right here."  
  
"Just tell me what you want me to do." she begged. She was openly crying, now, her face in her hands. He felt like salt was being rubbed in an open wound.  
  
He kissed the top of her forehead. "I want you to leave." he said softly. He watched her stand up and continued. "There just is no future here between us. You're a human and I'm a mutant. In your heart, whether you realize it or not, that will always be between us. I'm sorry."  
  
Rachel backed away towards the tent door. If she was still crying, she was doing so silently. But, she nodded her understanding. "Ok." she said, like a ghost. She stared one moment longer, then disappeared out the door.  
  
Kurt let out a painful breath and laid back down on his bed, trying not to cry himself. 


	8. Loose Ends

Is everyone asleep out there??? Or are you just ignoring me? Come on guys, I need feed back. If you like the story so far, tell me so. If you don't like the story, write your complaints on the back of a Twenty dollar bill and mail it to me. :-)  
  
**********************  
  
The only thing that kept Rachel sane was her work. She had worn herself ragged. She would be up from before dawn till after midnight caring for "her" animals, in particular, Shiva. She had been right. MRI's uncovered a large, egg shaped tumor in the right hemisphere of her brain. The tiger could no longer stand but for a few minutes at a time. She wasn't eating. Rachel had to resort to feeding her intraveniously to keep her alive. But Rachel's constant phone calls and hounding finally paid off for the feline. Shiva was on a surgery waiting list at the Munich Vet School. They sat on pins and needles, waiting for the phone to ring.   
  
But outside work, Rachel was becoming self destructive. It had been a month since Kurt had left. The hole in her heart wouldn't heal. It stayed a constant raw pain that invaded every waking second of her life. She couldn't eat; she couldn't sleep. When she did eat, she threw up. When she laid down to sleep all she could do is stare at the ceiling. And, in spite of herself, Rachel was becoming angry. The more she thought about how Kurt had just ended their relationship over one argument, one misunderstanding, the madder she got. But now, the complications and consequences of their union had increased ten fold.   
  
She got up from her bed and turned on the lamp. She picked up the slender test strip off the nightstand and stared at it for the hundredth time. As if looking at it again would change the results. She had picked up the test kit while in town earlier that day. She had worried that maybe - with all the vomiting, the fatigue...but, she didn't really think.... However, the positive blue line was still there, staring back at her, still adamant.   
  
She was pregnant.  
  
  
  
************  
  
She was packing to leave for the stock holder's vote as there was a knock at the door. "Come in!" she said loudly. Jemaine bounced into the RV, Lumi coming in behind, shutting the door.  
  
"When are you going to be back?" Jemaine asked, flopping down on the bed, chewing on an apple in her hand.  
  
Rachel stopped and thought about it for a few seconds. "A few days."  
  
Lumi leaned back against the counter, her arms crossed. She had watched her niece closely. "When are you and Kurt going to stop this foolishness and get back together?"  
  
Just hearing his name was like reopening a bad wound, especially under the circumstances. Rachel glared at Lumi for a second, then answered. "We're not. Kurt made it pretty clear that we were over." She stopped, staring at a shapeless nightshirt.  
  
"Regardless of how stubborn he's being, he does love you." Jemaine offered.  
  
Rachel shrugged and swallowed hard, "I guess that isn't always enough."  
  
"Couples fight, they make up." Lumi reasoned. "You can't just throw in the towel."   
  
Rachel snapped, "I DIDN'T!" She made a sweeping gesture. "I went to him. I BEGGED him. I offered to do anything it took to get us back together. But he wouldn't have it! HE threw in the towel - not ME!" She sat on the edge of the bed, close to tears.  
  
Lumi stood over Rachel and put a comforting hand on her head. "Shhhh, shhh. There, you shouldn't get so upset. It's not good for you in your condition." she cooed.  
  
Rachel froze as the words registered in her head. She had not told anyone. She couldn't know.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Rachel tried to sound confused. Her face was becoming flushed.  
  
Lumi laughed gently and stroked her niece's hair. "I'm an old gypsy woman. I know these things."  
  
"Know what things?" asked Jemaine who knew something important was being unsaid.  
  
"Rachel is expecting." Lumi said fondly. Rachel thought she just might kill her aunt. Jemaine couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it.  
  
"Oh my GOD!!!" Jemaine cried, jumping off the bed. "What did Kurt say???" The thought of having a little niece or nephew to play with delighted Jemaine.  
  
Rachel said nothing. She just sat there, mutely. Her eyes bored holes in the floor.  
  
"Rachel," Jemaine asked again. This time more seriously. "What did Kurt say?"  
  
"I haven't told him." she admitted.  
  
Now Lumi exploded. "What do you mean you haven't told him!?!?" She pointed a scolding finger at Rachel. "He's the father. He has a right to know."  
  
"I know that Lumi!" Rachel stood up and paced around. "I'm going to tell him."  
  
"When?"  
  
Rachel wrang the nightshirt in her hands, exasperated, "I don't know!...Later."  
  
Jemaine joined Lumi. "How much later?? Before or after the baby is born with three fingers and tail???"  
  
Finally, Rachel had had it. "This is MY decision, not yours! And I'll tell him when I'm good and ready - if I tell him at all!" She threw the nightshirt in the suitcase and closed it.  
  
"He needs to know, Rachel." Lumi soften her voice. "He has an obligation to you and to the baby. He will want to live up to that obligation."  
  
A melancholy smile played on Rachel's lips. "Kurt is probably the most honorable man I've ever met. If he knew I was pregnant, he'd be here in a second." Her smile faded as she continued. "But I can't stare at him across the breakfast table every morning, knowing that he is there because of his responsibly to a family he didn't plan or want. I won't be his obligation. If he doesn't come back on his own.....I...I don't want him back." That last part was so hard to say out loud. Finally, she took a deep breath. "I'm not ready to tell him. And the two of you have to swear you will keep this under wraps till I am."  
  
Reluctantly, they both promised to keep her secret. "Do you know how hard it is going to be to work with him every night and not say anything??" Jemaine whined.  
  
"Yes, almost as hard as it is going to be to get my shoe out of your ass if you breathe a word." Rachel warned.  
  
Rachel took a long last look at the circus before she got in the taxi to go to the train station. They were breaking down. The big top was just a huge round pile on the ground. There was something poignant about the scene before her. Fall was turning the leaves red and golden. They rustled in the trees overhead. She had hoped that Kurt would have at least told her good bye before she left. She knew Jemaine had told him she was leaving. Finally, she sighed, and ducked her head into the cab and left for the station. Disappearing over a small hill, she didn't see a pair of familiar, sad, gold eyes watching her go from the sanctuary of the trees.  
  
See the button just below....come on....I dare you! 


	9. Choices

Thanks y'all. I was beginning to think no one was even interested enough to peruse this story. You all made my day!!!  
  
NachtGleiskette - Phenomenal?....thanks! Can you see me blushing?? ^_^  
  
Beboots - Finshed? Not by a long shot! and does it tie into the movie? - Oh Yeah!! You will NOT be dissappointed - (I hope)  
  
Orphelia-Rose - Thanks for the compliments. I'm glad you like this version of Kurt. I know, right now, he doesn't much resemble the Kurt in the movie...but just wait....   
  
Snap - I wish I had enough talent to come up with originals!! Thanks!   
  
*****WARNING****  
  
The subject matter in the next two chapters deal with a very touchy subject. You'll see when you start reading. It is absolutely NOT my intention to offend anybody here. I don't condone or condemn the thoughts or actions of Rachel in this chapter. This is just a story and Rachel is just human.....  
  
If the you all feel this should be moved to a higher rating...please let me know.  
  
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The stock holder's meeting was about what Rachel had expected. Huge, elaborate and expensive. They were all being put up at a luxurious estate just outside of Geneva, compliments of Donivan Enterprises, for the next week. The vote would be held in 2 days. She just wanted to get it over with.  
  
Rachel went into Geneva, that morning, to do some shopping. This event warranted more formal clothing than she carried in her current wardrobe. By mid day, she had purchased just about everything she needed and had arranged for all of it to be delivered. Then, she began wondering aimlessly, trying to clear her mind in the brisk early autumn air. The day had started out sunny, but dark, menacing clouds had begun gathering towards the afternoon. Rachel was oblivious to them. Eventually, her steps left her in front of a neatly kept, subdued, brick building. The brass sign on the door, written in German, caught her breath in her chest. Despite the fact that everyone in the circus had patiently tried to teach her, Rachel seemed incapable of learning to speak any foreign language. But, she could read German somewhat. She understood enough to know that this was a doctor's office. In particular, a 'planned parenthood' clinic of some sort. She stood there for several minutes, debating with herself. Finally, she opened the heavy, wooden front door and stepped inside. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she reasoned, 'It couldn't hurt just to get some information...."  
  
Before she really knew what was happening, she was consulting with an English-speaking nurse. Switzerland had recently changed their laws regarding abortion, she explained. Apparently, they got a good deal of business from wealthy American women who had been a little too "careless." Rachel, numbly, took the pamphlets from the nurse and flipped thru them. Her head was swimming. It was as if she was outside her body, looking on, as she made an appointment for the following day for ultrasounds and blood tests.   
  
Once back at the estate, she paced the floor in her luxurious quarters. What was she doing??? She was Catholic. She couldn't do this! She shouldn't even be considering it!! But she was considering it. Doubt and guilt flew around her on wings that scratched her conscious. If she went thru with this and Kurt ever found out, he would NEVER forgive her. Of course, it didn't look like he was every going to forgive her anyway. And what about Jemaine and Lumi? They already knew she was pregnant.   
  
'I could tell them I miscarried.' She thought hastily. Though, she doubted Lumi would believe her. And then, she thought about the baby. With Kurt as the father, it was a forgone conclusion that it would be born a mutant - born hated. Was it fair to bring a child, who would be feared and shunned, into this world. Or was she just trying to make things easier for herself? Or both? The harsh reality of her predicament came crashing down on her. She laid down on her bed and curled into the fetal position. She had never felt more lost and alone and scared in her life.  
  
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Jemaine sat across from Kurt in Rachel's RV as they drove it to the next town. It was the first time he had been back in the motor home since he had stormed out. God, he missed Rachel. Just being here, in her home... her scent, vanilla and cinnamon, permeated everything around him. Her spirit haunted this place. It was almost more than he could stand.   
  
He noticed Jemaine was fidgety and out of sorts since Rachel had left. "What is it? What's wrong?" Kurt asked at last, using the side mirrors to judge his distance from the electrical hook ups as he backed the RV into it's parking place. He figured another round of 'You're a big, fat jerk' was coming up. He might as well get it over with. Jemaine had been furious with him when he broke up with Rachel.  
  
She jerked her head up. "Nothing!" Jemaine started.  
  
Kurt rested an arm on the steering wheel and studied his foster sister. Something wasn't right. "You're a terrible liar. What are you not telling me?"  
  
Jemaine looked as if the words wanted to burst from her lips. "I promised not to tell..."  
  
"Tell what?" Kurt probed. "Jemaine..."he warned. No, something was not right, at all.   
  
"It's about Rachel..." Jemaine fought herself. She wrang her hands in front of her.  
  
"What's wrong with Rachel?" he asked alarmed. All he knew of what she had been doing since he left was what he observed from a distance. Everyone had been careful not to mention her around him. But, even at a distance, it was easy to tell that she was ill. He had noticed several times, she had to sit down as if she were about to fall over. He had been terribly worried about her. And Jemaine's behavior only served to verify that there was something horribly wrong. "I want to know what is wrong with Rachel." he demanded. "Is she sick?"  
  
Jemaine rubbed the back of her neck. "I can't say." She wouldn't look at him. She was obviously frustrated.  
  
"What can't you say?" he tried to pry it out of her. "Jemaine, Tell me!!" he unintentionally yelled.  
  
"Rachel's pregnant." The words jumped out of her mouth of their own accord. As soon as she said them, she clamped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide open.  
  
That moment in time seemed to slow down. Kurt heard the words, but they were in slow motion. "Pregnant?" was all he could manage in a stunned falter.  
  
Jemaine nodded, guilty and horrified that she had broken her word.   
  
"Pregnant?" he repeated again, more intensely.   
  
Jemaine nodded, again.  
  
"Pregnant...." Despite the seriousness of the situation, a little grin crept onto his face. Secretly, Kurt had always wanted a family. But he figured he had as good a chance of getting one as he had of walking thru downtown Frankfurt, unnoticed. People, who realized he wasn't wearing a mask, were afraid of him. Children were terrified of him. He saw it in their faces when he performed every night. Rachel had been one of the few women who had ever looked at him and saw the man on the inside, instead of the demon on the outside...And he had cast her away.   
  
Now, she carried his child.   
  
"Pregnant." he whispered.  
  
Jemiane found her voice again and added. "Yes, pregnant - with a baby."  
  
"Mein Gott." He breathed, the little grin growing into a soft laugh.   
  
"She's going to kill me." Jemaine groaned, getting up out of her chair.   
  
But Kurt barely heard. His mind whirled with images of a new future rising out of the ashes like a phoenix.   
  
*************  
  
It's that time again....click the button just below and let me know what you think.  
  
:-) 


	10. Lost in the Storm

Hey everyone....Thanks for not flaming me over that last chapter! And....the plot thickens....  
  
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A horrific storm brewed outside as Rachel stared blindly out the huge bay window in the bedroom. 6:00 pm, read the alarm clock on her nightstand. Reluctantly, wiping away tears, she got up. She got up and put on her party face. Getting dressed, she stood in front of the huge, tri fold mirror. To look at her, you would never imagine she worked in a traveling circus and fostered an illegitimate child in her womb. She looked every bit the part of an American Socialite. Her dark hair was elegantly swept up in a French twist, secured with golden combs. Her skin glowed against her short, black cocktail dress. Her legs even more shapely in her stiletto heels. Make up covered the circles under her eyes. Idly, she wondered how many other people here were not what they seemed?   
  
Seeing her ex fiance as she walked into the foyer was almost enough to make her scamper back up the stairs and hide in her room. Ben Gammon was the embodiment of the 'most eligible bachelor.' He was the kind on man you find on the cover of "GQ." Never a blond hair out of place. Blue eyes, always twinkling. But there was a darker side of him. He was self serving, quick tempered and violent when he didn't get his way. Rachel had called off their engagement a week before the wedding. It had been in the Society section all the papers. The columnists were completely baffled at what happened to this dream couple. They never saw the shiner he left on her right eye after an argument over dinner reservations.  
  
She mingled for a little while, then went to sit down. Ben Gammon. There was a blast from the past.   
  
"Mind if I join you?" Came a smooth, deep voice.  
  
Speak of the Narcissist....Rachel nodded. She sat alone at the bar, nursing her ginger ale, wishing it was a bourbon on the rocks. Ben pulled up a stool next to her. His tuxedo was exquisitely tailored to the finest detail. Tonight was the official 'kick off,' as it were. There had already been an elegant, extravagant dinner, which Rachel didn't even bother going to since she couldn't hold anything down. Now, it was followed by drinks, which Rachel couldn't enjoy, and dancing, which took a partner Rachel didn't have.  
  
"You used to be the first one on the dance floor." Ben smiled. "Are you feeling all right?" His voice was genuinely concerned.  
  
"Yes, I am just tired." She lied with a smile on her face.   
  
"Come on," he offered her his hand, "Dance with me....for old time's sake."   
  
She stared at his hand for a moment, then daring herself, she took it. 'Why not?' she told herself, 'It's just a dance.'  
  
One dance turned into several dances, which turned into a long walk down memory lane, in one of the many lounges, talking about old times and remembering how much fun they used to have. It seemed to Rachel, that Ben had changed. He wasn't the arrogant, self-centered, child she remembered. He had grown up. And, to her surprise, Rachel was having a good time with him. The turmoil of her life in the Munich Circus and the decision she faced tomorrow was at bay, at least for the moment. Rachel found herself laughing. Outside, the wind howled and rain poured down mercilessly.  
  
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Miles away, in Erfut, Germany, Kurt paced restlessly. Finally, he threw on a jacket and went to talk to Lumi. He found her sitting in a chair outside, her fingers laced tightly in front of her, staring towards the south, out over a dark horizon. A troubled frown creased her already wrinkle brow. She seemed to be - miles away.  
  
"Lumi?" He asked crouching next to her. "Are you alright?"  
  
"It's the wrong time of year for storms like this." She murmured, her eyes never leaving the ominous clouds. "It's a bad omen."  
  
They sat quietly for a moment. The air tense around them.   
  
"Jemaine told me." He finally spoke, broaching the subject. He stared intently at the ground, as he drew figures in the dirt with his finger.  
  
"Of course, she did." Lumi broke her gaze away from the sky and smiled at him. "Jemaine can't keep a secret - never could."  
  
They laughed for a moment. Then Lumi became deadly serious. "They're in trouble, Kurt."  
  
"What kind of trouble??" Kurt felt his pulse quicken. "What have you seen?" Lumi was a seer. Her predications were almost always dead on.  
  
Lumi shook her head frustrated. "I had a dream last night. I saw Rachel and a serpent. And a storm." She stared back over the horizon. "That storm." In the distance, lightening flashed angrily.  
  
"What does it mean?" Kurt was a devout Catholic, but had a great respect for Lumi's gypsy ways.   
  
"The Serpent is the deceiver, the false friend...." she seemed to be talking as much to herself as to Kurt. "The storm....." She didn't even want to speak out loud what the storm had screamed in her dream.  
  
"What do we do?" He laid his hand on her arm rest and gripped it tightly  
  
Lumi patted his unique, tri fingered hand, her frown deepening.  
  
"Pray."  
  
Kurt bent his head down and touched his crucifix. The wind picked up fiercely, as front of the storm bore down on them.   
  
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And I bet you thought there was going to be some kind of resolution in this chapter, didn't you?? Sorry...Stay tuned......  
  
Thanks again for all the reviews....it keeps me encouraged. :-)  
  
Hit the review button and let me know what you think!!! 


	11. Rachel's Decision

Ok, everyone. Here's the answer to the dreaded question......What is Rachel's decision? Hope you enjoy.  
  
Please let me know what you think!  
  
Warning - The subject matter in this chapter is very sensitive. I do not intend to offend anyone. Please remember that this is only a work of fiction. No mutants were harmed in the writing of the story. ;-)  
  
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It was well after 2:00 am when Ben walked Rachel to her suite. She fished around for the key, then opened the door and invited him in. Ben fixed himself a drink at the wet bar as Rachel took off her shoes.  
  
"Do you remember the time we stole my father's company limousine?" Ben asked, laughing as he recapped the liquor decanter.  
  
"Oh God!" She exclaimed. "How could I ever forget? I thought Dad was going to skin me alive!" She waved away his offer of a drink. "Who knew hot-wiring a car could be so easy?"  
  
They stood face to face for a few moments. A heavy silence filled the room.  
  
"I've really missed you, Rachel." he admitted. "I've been going to counseling. I know, I have a problem with my temper. Everyday, I hate myself for hurting you. Can you ever forgive me?"  
  
Rachel smiled. "I already have." She laid a hand on his arm. "We hurt each other."   
  
Ben stared at his shoes for a moment, then met her gaze. "Do you think you could ever take me back?"   
  
Her breath stopped. She withdrew her hand. "I...I..." she faltered.  
  
"You don't have to give me an answer right now." Ben reassured her quickly. "Just...think about it." He set his drink down on an end table and touched her face. "You are so beautiful." His blue eyes were like two fiery sapphires.  
  
She couldn't move as he came closer. He kissed her effortlessly, taking her bottom lip in his. Her body instinctively, responded to the stimulus. She let him wrap his arms around her and pull her close. Her head spun as she felt old, familiar caresses. He moved his hand to the zipper of her dress. At that moment, his drink fell off the end table, shattering into a thousand pieces on the tile floor. She was jerked back into reality.  
  
"No!" she cried, pushing him away.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rachel." Ben apologized immediately. "That was out of line."  
  
"It's all right." she said, shakily. She grabbed a towel off the bar and tried to soak up the spilt liquor. She tested the end table. It was sturdy. They couldn't figure out how in the world the glass managed to fall off.  
  
Ben helped her sweep up the broken glass. House keeping would take care of the rest in the morning. "I guess, I should go." He offered.  
  
Rachel nodded her agreement. She had a difficult day tomorrow.  
  
"Can I take you to dinner tomorrow night?" He offered.  
  
"Sure." She smiled.  
  
He kissed her good night, but this time, just on the cheek. Rachel shut the door and locked it, then tested the sturdiness of the end table one more time before changing her clothes and going to bed. "That was just weird." she said eerily, and turned out the living room lights.  
  
Rachel laid awake the rest of the night, listening to the howling wind and rain outside. Finally, as the sky started to lighten, she figured it must be dawn and got up. She had made up her mind. As guilty and shamed as she felt, she could not have this baby. At least, not under these circumstances. Maybe if things had turned out differently for her and Kurt....but they hadn't. She got dressed mechanically and called for a taxi.  
  
She ate some saltines to quiet her stomach while waiting on the steps in the quiet, dark foyer. She watched the storm thru the huge, leaded glass doors. She had not seen it rain like this since the time she had been in the Bahamas and a hurricane had skirted around the islands. As she watched , she prayed. She doubted God would be inclined to grant her any favors right now, but she prayed anyway. She prayed that Kurt would never know what she was about to do. Not for her sake, but for his. Kurt would be devastated if he ever learned that Rachel had been pregnant with his child and purposely....she didn't finish the thought. She couldn't. She did not want to hurt him. She had never wanted to hurt him.  
  
She stared out the window in the physician's waiting room till she was called back. "Frau. Donivan." The nursed called her. Not Fräulein Donivan...Frau Donivan. She offered her arm and they took blood and gave her the release papers to sign. She studied them for a minute, then, with her jaw clenched, she signed her name to them.   
  
Please, God, don't ever let him know.  
  
She found out she was in luck. She was ten weeks and the 'procedure' could be performed at, up to, twelve weeks. 'Lucky me.' she thought darkly. There was an opening now, if she wanted to go ahead. She nodded. There was no sense in waiting.   
  
The last bit of prep work was an ultrasound to locate the fetus. Rachel was positioned in the stirrups, on an exam table, wearing a ridiculous, blue paper gown. The nurse explained everything that she was doing. Rachel didn't bother to tell the woman that she knew very well how an ultrasound worked. She had performed them herself on animals, dozens of times. She just let the nurse talk, the sound of her accented voice, droning on and on. Rachel laid back on the table and tried to think about something else. Anything else. 'This will all be over soon...' she consoled herself.  
  
Just then, a movement on the ultrasound caught the corner of her eye. "Wait." Rachel suddenly spoke. The nurse, stopped. "What is that?" she asked, sitting up a little.  
  
"That?" the nurse asked. "Hmmm...That is a hand, I think." She narrowed in on the fluttering image. "Yes, a hand."  
  
"A hand?" Rachel whispered. She stared at the image. A tiny little hand wriggled excitedly. Rachel imagined it was waving at her. She reached out and touched the monitor.  
  
"And there is the other hand." the nurse continued. "And there are its legs...."her voice dropped off. The nurse excused herself for a moment and left the room.  
  
Rachel hardly noticed she was gone.   
  
There are some moments in life that are so powerful, they can leave you changed forever. For Rachel, this was one of those moments. As she touched the screen, transfixed. And, in the face all of the rational, logical reasons for wanting to term this pregnancy, she smiled.  
  
"Hi." she said softly to the little hand waving to her. Suddenly, she knew beyond the shadow of a doubt. She didn't care if the father was a mutant, a sasquatch, or a space alien. She wanted this little baby. She wanted it more than she had ever wanted anything in her life. And nothing was going to stop her.  
  
She looked around her as if she were waking up from a bad dream. She had to get out of there! She rolled off the exam table and grabbed her clothes. She threw them on hastily. It was, as if, she was afraid just breathing the air here would hurt her baby. She opened the door, threw her paper gown in the garbage and made a break for the lobby door.   
  
The receptionist jumped as Rachel flew towards her, demanding her bill. Right behind her came the doctor and ultrasound nurse.  
  
They were all in such a hurry, Rachel turned around and bumped into them. "Sorry!" She said hurriedly. "Um, Thanks a lot for your time, doctor. I really appreciate it, but I've changed my mind!" She hastily took his hand and shook it, then took out her purse. The receptionist, cautiously, handed her a summary of charges. Rachel took out a large bill and handed it back. "Keep the change!" She waved.  
  
"Frau, there is something you must know." The doctor said urgently, as Rachel was trying to get away. "It is about the fetus."  
  
Rachel turned again and tucked a lock of hair behind her ears. "Yes?" She asked, putting her purse back up.  
  
He didn't quite know what to say. "This fetus. It's....It is deformed, Frau Donivan." He held out the ultrasounds for her to look at. She frowned and stared at the pictures intently. The doctor continued. "See here are the arms," pointing to one photo. "And here is one leg...and the other leg," pointing to another ultrasound. "But, here, Frau, here there seems to be a...a third appendage.....a leg possibly, growing from the sacrum, the base of the spine." The doctor handed her the ultrasounds. She studied them for a moment.  
  
"Oh!" She started laughing. "Oh, that!" She slipped the pictures into her purse. "That's not a leg!" She shook her head.  
  
The nurse and receptionist looked at each other alarmed, afraid this American woman was becoming hysterical. The doctor stepped towards her carefully. "Frau, if it's not a leg, then what do you believe it could-"  
  
"It's a tail!" She piped up, grinning. The three health professionals froze.   
  
Rachel open the heavy door and said over her shoulder, "Gets it from the father's side of the family." She explained cheerfully.   
  
The sun hit her. "Oh, look! It stopped raining!" And, with that, she hopped out the door and left the disbelieving staff floundering in her wake.  
  
When Kurt woke up, it was as if the storm that had threatened them so fiercely, the night before, had never even existed. The sun was peeking over a clear horizon. He had spent a good deal of the night in prayer. Lumi would not tell him what she had seen in her dream. That scared him more than if she had told him. Kurt prayed for Rachel and the baby. He prayed for forgiveness for getting a child on Rachel, out of wedlock. He prayed that the baby would be born healthy. He prayed for God's hand to be over them in whatever trouble they were in and for Rachel to make it back home safely. And he prayed that he would be a good father to this child and a good husband to Rachel, because he intended to marry her as soon as possible. He loved her so much. He had been wrong to send her away. Now, more than anything, he wanted them to be a family. He had been abandoned at birth and never knew his birth parents. He would not let his child endure that. His child would have a family.  
  
In the morning's early light, he stretched as he rolled off his cot working out all the kinks, his tail twisting this way and that. He grabbed his jacket and walked outside. The camp had been put a day behind getting the tents up because of the storm. There was no sense in putting up a tent that was just going to get knocked over in the high winds. But now, he saw workers pulling the tent into position to hoist it up. Kurt pulled on his jacket. There was now a definite nippiness in the air as the last bit of summer was choked out by autumn.   
  
Lumi met him as he walked towards the breakfast tent. There was a great, relieved smile on her face. "Kurt!" she beamed.  
  
"Lumi." he responded warmly, hugging the old woman. "How did you sleep?"   
  
She shook her head. "I didn't. But I think everything's going to be all right now." She said cryptically. She looked as if a great weight had been taken off her shoulders.  
  
Kurt didn't question, but he would have loved to know what had that old woman so worried and what, exactly, she had been doing in her tent all night long.  
  
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Well? Well?? Hit the review button and let me know what you think! Kurt and Rachel have a long ways to go yet....  
  
Thanks! 


	12. Rachel's OTHER Decision

2_lay_z, Jerzy Devil - Your wish is my command! :-)  
  
Pie-Chan - Rachel has months to go before the blessed event! Keep reading :-)  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Thanks! I made ME very happy in this chapter too. I would've had to make Rachel die a very slow, painful death if she had gone thru with that awful 'procedure.' (I can do that - I'm the author!) ha ha!!   
  
Sicklepod - My spell check has been missing that! I will try to make a mental note. Thanks! I have caught way worse errors, so that doesn't hurt my feelings at all. And, yes, this story does extend into X2 and a little beyond. I'm with you. I just really couldn't buy the Kurt/Storm pairing in the movie. But, hey, they write the movie their way, I'll write this fan fiction MY way! :-)  
  
Pen Pen - I'm glad you like the fuzzy one too! And I'm glad you find this story "believable." That was one of my goals. Thanks. And, please, please, keep reviewing. It is very rewarding to me and lets me know people are actually reading this :-)  
  
Thanks for all the reviews. This chapter is not as "intense" as the previous one, but important, just the same. Please enjoy! I'll try to have the next chapter up soon.  
  
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"I know we aren't supposed to really bring it up, but I have to know." Ben asked, sitting across from her, at dinner. His voice brought Rachel back to the present. She had been lost in happy thoughts, her hand resting lightly on her stomach. The table was set with fine china and crystal. String musicians played soothing music in the background. The dark haired, dark eyed gypsy was dressed in a red, silk Armani. It was strapless and elegantly simple. It showed off her slim hourglass figure. She figured might as well flaunt it while she still could. Her breasts were already starting to swell. Soon, the rest of her would too.  
  
"What would that be, Ben?" she asked, sipping her water. It was a risk coming to dinner at all. She might very well be sick all over the crisp, white linen table cloth.   
  
"How are you going to vote?"   
  
Earlier that day, Rachel had learned that Ben was working at Donivan Enterprises as their chief Biochemical Engineer. He had a very vested interest in whether or not this proposal passed. She wondered why he had not brought that up. But, regardless of his personal gain in the matter, she couldn't see the harm in telling him the truth. She took a long breath and let it out slowly. "I have thought and thought about that. Ultimately, this technology would be used to tag mutants and segregate them. And I just don't know, morally or politically, if that is something Donivan Enterprises should be involved in."  
  
Ben looked thoughtful for a moment. "But, at the same time, all you have to do is look at Liberty Island to see what we are facing if we sit back and do nothing."   
  
"That's true, too." Rachel conceded, her mind thinking back , "Then again, what should we do? Pin big yellow stars on mutants and parade the down the center of town." She smirked to herself. Kurt had been right. Prejudice only breeds hatred and fear, regardless of how it's cloaked. Look what her prejudice had done to them. Finally, she shook her head. "I don't guess there is a good answer."  
  
Ben smiled. She smiled back. "We aren't voting on whether or not to segregate mutants. We're just working on a piece of technology. If we don't get that contract, someone else will. Wouldn't it be better if we had it and was able to have some say-so in how it's used?"   
  
Rachel had not looked at it from that point of view. She blinked, "You do have a point." she admitted, thoughtfully. Many felt there was a war brewing between "normals" and mutants. And, now that she had decided to keep this baby, she was right in the middle of it. She needed all the advantages she could get her hands on.  
  
Just then dinner came. Rachel ordered the blandest thing on the menu she could find. And it still was almost enough to make her gag, but she managed to eat most of it. After dinner, they walked on the estate grounds. Rachel pulled her shawl closer to keep out the chill.   
  
"You know, I owe you an apology." She smiled.  
  
"Really?" He sounded baffled, "For what?"  
  
"For leaving you the way I did." She turned to face him. "I always accused you of acting like a child, but when it came right down to it, I was the one who acted childishly. I just threw up my hands and left. I should have tried to work things out with you. I'm sorry."  
  
Ben smiled warmly, "Forgiven." he said, hugging her. "I deserved it. I WAS a child. A violent, angry child. I think you walking away was what made me finally grow up." They walked a little further.   
  
He took a step closer. "You know, Atlanta is just not the same without you. Is there any chance you'll be coming back to America any time soon? Maybe after this conference??" His face was hopeful.  
  
At that moment, she had to admit, a part of her wanted to say yes. She could only imagine how insane things would be between her and Kurt. If she just left, she wouldn't have to face that. Go back to America. Back to where Kurt couldn't find her. But what about the baby? She saw how people outside the circus stared, terrified, at Kurt and that made her so angry, she could scream. How much more would it hurt for them to stare at her child that way? Her hand went unconsciously to her still flat stomach. The circus was the only 'safe' place she could think of for her offspring. And, regardless of what happened between the two of them, Kurt had a right to be in his child's life. No, she couldn't go back. That chapter in her life was closed forever now.  
  
"Ben, there's something I have to tell you." He listened intently. Finally, she said, "I'm pregnant." She watched for Ben's reaction. He was stunned. After a moment, he regained his composure.  
  
"And the father? Where is he?" He asked. His voice a little shaken, but still caring.   
  
"Eurfurt, at the moment."  
  
"Do you love him?"  
  
"We were good friends. I love him very much." she smiled.  
  
"Well, congratulations." He smiled, touching her cheek. "Whoever he is, he's one lucky man."  
  
Rachel blushed at the compliment. "Thanks."  
  
After a few more minutes of walking in silence, she spoke, "What do you think about this proposed project?"  
  
Ben looked up at the sky and frowned thoughtfully. "I think we should take it. I think if we do, then we can work to help protect those mutants who are not dangerous. At least, more so, than if we stand by and do nothing. Because, sooner or later, the Mutant Registration Act is going to pass. Then, it's only a matter of time before other countries start adopting similar laws."  
  
Rachel mulled over his words and nodded. "Maybe you're right." Suddenly, she stifled a yawn. "It's getting late. I should probably get to bed." Ben walked her to her suite.  
  
Ben cleared his throat as they stood at her door. "Am I going to get an invitation to the wedding?" he asked.  
  
"Wedding?" she asked, frowning.  
  
Well...I...it's just, you said you're..." he gestured to her stomach. "I'm sorry. I guess, I just assumed..."  
  
Rachel smiled comfortingly. "That's ok. Actually, there....there isn't going to be a wedding. Things......didn't work out the way we had hoped."   
  
"Well, he's a fool if he lets you go." Ben reflected. He started to say more but stopped. Instead he kissed her cheek. "Good night, Rachel."  
  
She touched her cheek and managed a little smile. "Good night." Once inside, she put on her trusty, shapeless nightshirt and wondered how best to break the news to Kurt.   
  
Ben hummed a happy tune as he walked out of foyer and back out into the night air. He lit a cigarette.   
  
"Well?" An unseen male voice came from the shadows.  
  
Ben nodded. "She's going to support the proposal, I'm sure of it" he took a drag off his cigarette.  
  
"Good. The vote is tomorrow. She has to vote 'yes.' Our plans depend on it."  
  
Then, Ben was alone. He dropped the cigarette and crushed it out with his shoe. Still humming a little tune, he walked back inside.  
  
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It's that time again! Hit the review button and let me know what you think!!   
  
Thanks!!!! 


	13. The Truth of the Matter

Sicklepod - I can promise that it's going to be one or the other! ;-)  
  
Angelfish - I'm glad you're still reading this! Thanks for the compliments. I'll try to keep living up to them.   
  
Schizophrenic-Rebel - You reviewed. That's the most important thing! Thanks!  
  
Pen Pen - You kept your word and reviewed again! BIG kudo for you! Keep reading and you'll find out how she votes. :-D  
  
Hope everyone enjoys ...........  
  
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"Well, what do you think kiddo?" Rachel questioned her unborn child. "In a letter, maybe over the phone....or - and this is my personal favorite - telegram."  
  
She sighed. "What's that?" She frowned, "In person???" She shook her head. "Are you insane!? Why can't we just send him a nice little card. Hallmark makes a card for EVERY occasion. I'm sure there's a 'Congratulations, your the father of an illegitimate mutant baby' card." She rubbed her eyes and shook her head at the craziness of her situation. "I'll even hand write a little note on it, if you like...."  
  
Just then, her peculiar, one-sided conversation with her unborn counselor was interrupted by a knock at the door. She checked the clock on the wall. 12:10 am. Who in the world would be knocking on her door this time of night? She threw on a robe and opened the door cautiously.  
  
"May I help you?" she asked, peering out a crack in the door.  
  
"Miss Donivan?"  
  
"Yes." She looked at the handsome man in front of her. It struck her odd, that he would be wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night. But the one who really caught her attention was the distinguished, older gentleman sitting in a wheel chair next to him.  
  
"I am Professor Charles Xavier." He said politely. "We are sorry to disturb you at this hour, but it is imperative that we speak with you."  
  
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They sat around the coffee table. Rachel turned paler and paler as she read the information Xavier had given her. "This can't be right." she faltered. "This isn't, at all, what I was told. This isn't what any of us were told." But there it was in black and white. Official inter-department memos to and from the project development division of Donivan Enterprises. Rachel was almost sick. Many of them had Ben Gammon's signature on them.  
  
"The National Security Division isn't developing mutant tracking technology. They're going way past that." Scott Summers said, leaning his elbows on his knees.   
  
"The technology they want to develop would only be useful in forcibly controlling those who have an active mutant gene." Professor Xavier continued. She blanched even more as she stared at schematics for 'inhibitor collars' as they were called.  
  
She knew of Professor Xavier. He was a supporter of mutant rights and possibly the biggest opponent to the Mutant Registration Act. Rumor had it that it was his people who had thwarted the attack at Liberty Island. "How did you get this information?" she questioned. "These are private memos."   
  
Professor Xavier smiled at her understandingly. "We have 'ways.' Scott and others like us have a special interest in what happens to mutants."  
  
"Me, too." She whispered. "If what you are saying is true...." But, in her heart, she knew it was true. Leopards don't change their spots. How could she have been so blind? That was a rhetorical question. She had seen what she wanted to see. But now, the truth was slapping her in the face. Ben had been an evil little bastard when she had left him and he was an evil little bastard now. He had just gotten better at hiding it, that was all. She stood up, "Donivan Enterprises isn't going to 'forcibly control' anyone."  
  
Xavier looked relieved. "Thank you, Ms. Donivan."  
  
"Thank you, Professor Xavier." She smiled. 'Without your coming here, I may have never known about any of this until it was too late.' she thought, silently.  
  
As they took their leave, Xavier turned his wheelchair back towards her and handed her a business card.   
  
'Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters'   
  
Xavier smiled, knowingly, "I run a school for children who are...'different.' In case, you ever need it."  
  
She stared at the card after they had left. At least, maybe if she couldn't bear to stay with the circus, there was another safe place for her baby, when the time came.....  
  
After a moment, Rachel returned to the sofa and sank into it wearily, the world heavy on her shoulders. She read the memos carefully. She had hoped to read something that would tell her that this was not as bad as it seemed. But everything she read just reinforced her worst fears.   
  
Finally, she put the papers down and paced around the room, stopping at the French doors, overlooking the impressive estate. "Ben, what kind of deal have you made with the Devil?" she wondered into the night.  
  
Just then, Rachel jumped out of her skin as the phone rang. A frantic Niklas was on the phone. A spot came open for Shiva's surgery in Munich if they could have her there in the morning. And it was already 2:00 am.  
  
"Niklas, get Shiva to the school. I'll meet you there." Rachel threw on a pair of old worn jeans and threw everything in a bag. She was more than ready to get out of there. At least at the circus, she knew where she stood, even if it wasn't where she wanted to stand. Ben had blatantly lied to her about everything. She stopped for a moment, strangling her hairbrush in one hand. He had played her for a fool and she had believed every miserable word of it.  
  
She called the chairperson of the board and explained that she had to leave immediately due to circumstances beyond her control. They managed to find a notary public to take her vote in a sealed envelope. Then, she jumped on the first train from Geneva to Munich. Once at the Munich School of Veterinary Medicine, She and the surgeon discussed Shiva's MRI's and how the surgery would be performed. By the time Shiva was being prepped for surgery that afternoon, Rachel had been awake for more than two days straight. She was so exhausted she could barely stand.  
  
"Fräulein Rachel, please go home." Niklas begged her in akward English. "It is not good for you to be so tired. I will stay with Shiva. Josef, will take you home." She was too tired to argue. Niklas' son, Josef, drove her to Erfurt. She fell asleep in the truck on the way there. When she woke up, they were pulling into camp, everyone was busy trying to get the tents set up and ready. A few waved, but she was so weary, she could barely wave back. She mumbled her gratitude to the young man, as he helped her out of the truck. Then she stumbled into her RV. She wondered, ideally, if Kurt had driven it from Munich. Shook her head. It didn't really matter. But, it felt like he had been there. There was a feeling of bittersweet around her. With a melancholy sigh, she pulled off her clothes, fell on the bed and passed out.  
  
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Well, love it, hate it? Click the magic button and let me know!!!!  
  
:-) 


	14. The Right Thing

Glass Fire - More - coming up!  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Is it your Birthday, really??? ahem - Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear NachtcGleiskette..............Happy Birthday to you!!!  
  
Sicklepod - Thanks!! You keep saying stuff like that and you'll give me a big head!! Will Kurt and Rachel get back together? Keep reading and find out........:-D  
  
Pen Pen - This story keeps me on my toes too! There are plenty of surprises to come.....I've never been a real big fan of self-pity....but, if Xavier and Scott hadn't shown up when they did, who knows what would've happened???? ;-)   
  
Jaganashi - Welcome! Thanks for reviewing! You and Sicklepod should get together. My misspelling of "thru" drives Sicklepod crazy too. It's not intentional. I tried to proof read this chapter really well. I think I got them all. And, yes, I am always opened to constructive criticism....Like I've said before, just write them on the back of a twenty dollar bill and send them to me! ha ha!  
  
Rachel wasn't sure how long she had been asleep when she finally woke up. It was dark outside, so it was either night or early morning. The clock read 10:30 pm. She had been asleep for 9 hours. The vote in Geneva had come and gone. She smiled wryly and wondered if Ben had gotten any better at taking disappointment.  
  
Stiffly, she sat up, groaning. She swallowed the urge to throw up. "How much longer are you going to keep doing this to me?" she scolded her growing fetus, affectionately. She frowned, thoughtfully, and wondered if she was so sick because the child was a mutant. She shrugged on her robe and stumbled to the cupboard and rummaged through it. "Hmm...what do I feel like? Saltines or soda crackers?" She pulled down a box of crackers. "I think I'll have some saltines." She pulled a salty wafer out of the box and munched on it disinterestedly.  
  
"Guten Abend."  
  
Rachel screamed and threw the box in the air, sending saltines in every direction. She spun around to see Kurt sitting in the dark in the familiar little booth. "Shit!!!" She finally managed to hiss through her teeth, her fists clenched.  
  
"Mother of God!" she swore. "What are you trying to do? Scare me to death???" She picked up the box and set it back on the counter.  
  
"I'm sorry, Rachel." He said, getting up to help her pick up the crackers. She turned on a light.  
  
After they had picked up floor, Rachel regarded him warily. "Is there a reason you're sitting in my RV.....in the dark.....in the middle of the night......alone??"   
  
Kurt leaned against the counter, facing her. They studied each other for several moments. Rachel's heart was beating faster and faster.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"   
  
Rachel backed away, "Tell you what?" she swallowed. She wasn't ready for this; she needed more time.  
  
In answer, Kurt stepped towards her and put his hand gently on her smooth abdomen.   
  
Rachel slammed her fist on the counter. "I'm gonna KILL her! Where's my shoes!!" She exclaimed and started towards the door in a fit of rage. Kurt caught her, lightly, but firmly, by the arm.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he repeated.  
  
Tears threatened to spring forward, but Rachel willed them away. "Why should I?" she spat, hatefully, jerking her arm away. "You walked away, remember? You told me we had no future, remember?? You washed your hands of me! Why should I tell you anything?!?" Her grief became anger.   
  
Kurt was stung by her words. "Schatz, I didn't know. I would never have left if I had known-"  
  
"Known what?" She cut him off, angry tears were welling in her eyes. "That you knocked me up??" She ground her fingernails into her palms to keep from sobbing, her voice rising into a yell. "No! I am not your obligation. I don't need you to take care of me! I don't want you to take care of me!" All her hurt came erupting to the surface in an insane wrath. She went to the door and flung it open. "You wanted out? - Well, get out!!"   
  
He held up his hands in a gesture of cooperation and started towards the door. "I'll go, liebe. I did not mean to upset you." He would try to talk to her again when she had calmed down. It couldn't be good for her or the baby for her to be this agitated.  
  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!! I AM NOT YOUR LOVE!!" She screamed at him, more distraught than ever. Tears finally running down her cheeks, she ran into the bedroom and slammed the door. Curled into a little ball of misery, Rachel's body racked with sobs. It hurt more that he had come back then it had when he left. She barely heard the door open as Kurt came in.   
  
Without a word, he climbed on the bed. He pulled her to him and held her, soothing her with little words of comfort, letting her cry herself out. Finally, after a while, she quieted. When he checked, he saw that she had cried herself back to sleep.  
  
Rachel woke up with the morning light in her eyes. It had been a wonderful dream. Kurt had been here, holding her in her sleep. The past six weeks had just been a bad nightmare. She started to sit up when she realized there was someone there with her. She froze. She turned her head and saw Kurt's face, inches from her own. The air around them tense with uncertainty. Finally, Rachel touched his face. Neither of them spoke. Slowly, cautiously, their lips touched and touched again. Then, the kiss deepened. Being so close, after the strain and misery of the past month and a half had left them defenseless to their desire for each other. Unable to control himself, Kurt loosened the sash of her robe. Rapidly going beyond thought, Rachel pulled Kurt's shirt over his head. A sweet, aching, madness took both of them and soon they were wrapped around each other desperately, Kurt moving inside her; Rachel matching his thrusts in a rhythm that was as old as time.  
  
Afterwards, Rachel rested, her head nestled in the hollow of Kurt's shoulder. He had his eyes closed, holding her. They laid in a safe haven, outside of time and reason. The hurt each had inflicted on each other, put away for the moment; they savored this closeness after so long of being apart.   
  
"How far along are you?" he asked softly, stroking her soft, long hair.  
  
"About two and a half months." She ran her fingers lightly across his chest. She smiled, remembering a tiny waving hand.  
  
Kurt reflected for a few moments. "The night of that thunderstorm?"  
  
Rachel nodded against his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that was when it was." It was one of the few times they hadn't used protection.  
  
"Well, we have a little time." he mused.  
  
"Time for what?" she asked, yawning.  
  
"We'll need to find a priest and make arrangements."   
  
Rachel froze. "Arrangements for what?" This was what she had been afraid of. His obligation.  
  
"Well, ideally, the wedding comes before the baby. But, I'm sure we aren't the first couple to do it the other way around." He chuckled.  
  
Rachel pushed away from him, "Wait a minute. Who said anything about getting married? The last time we 'spoke', there wasn't even a future for us. Now, we're just supposed to get married and live happily ever after??"   
  
"Rachel, we're going to have a baby. That changes everything." Kurt said, as if that should be explanation enough.  
  
"It doesn't change anything." She sat up on the edge of the bed, pulling the bedspread around her. A wave of nausea washed over her. She couldn't look at him. "Blue, I love you. No matter how much we've hurt each other, I always will. And, I want you to be in our baby's life." She shook her head resolutely, "But, I won't marry you."  
  
Kurt got in the floor in front of her, clasping her hands in his. "Why not?? Rachel, I love you."  
  
"Do you?" she countered, an edge in her voice. "If you love me so much, why did you walk away after one fight?" She was fighting back tears again. "Why did you only come back AFTER you found out you had fathered a child." She shook her head. "You didn't come back out of love for me. You came back out of obligation to this baby."  
  
"That's not true." He argued.   
  
"Isn't it?" She said quietly. "Tell me, if I were not pregnant....would you have been here last night?"  
  
He realized too late that he had painted himself into a corner. Her eyes bore the truth out of him. It killed him, "No." he admitted, almost inaudibly, dropping his head.  
  
She took a deep breath to try to keep from crying - again. She was tired of crying. "You're a good man, Kurt. And, I know you want to do the 'right thing.' But getting married just because I'm pregnant is not the right thing. Eventually, it would only hurt all three of us. And...I can't stand for us to hurt each other anymore."  
  
"Rachel, it's not just because your pregnant. Yes, I want us to be a family. But, there is so much more than that. I love you. I have been in Hell since I left. Please, forgive me. I'm sorry I left the way I did. I was full of self-righteousness and I let it blind me to what was really important." He took a cleansing breath. "Please, I don't want to loose you...."  
  
She studied his sincere face for a long time. Finally, she sighed. "I don't know , Kurt." She said slowly, shaking her head. "Let me think about it, ok?"  
  
He released her hands and stood up. "Ok. Just think about it." He helped her stand up and held her in his arms for a moment. Then suddenly, she broke away and made a mad dash to the bathroom, unable to ignore her nausea any longer.  
  
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It's that time again....I want to know what you're thinking... 


	15. A Promise and Some Food for Thought

NachtcGleiskette - Thanks! I'm smilin' real big over here at your compliments! The big 21 huh??? I don't really remember turning 21. But I was told I had a GREAT time!! ^_^  
  
Colleen - Glad to see your still reading and reviewing. You should be worried about "scum sucking" Ben....  
  
Pen Pen - I have always been really critical of my humor writing abilities, so that makes me feel good. It is really hard not to jump to the "exciting" parts, but they won't make any sense if you don't know how the characters got there! And, I already expect to see your reviews. I would be very disappointed if they weren't there. :-)  
  
Jaqanashi - I am partial to the pink/blue swirled cotton candy myself......  
  
Sicklepod - Cool. Glad to be rid of the dreaded 'thru'.....how about if I start spelling though as tho' :-P Just kidding!  
  
  
  
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"What do you MEAN you said you'd THINK about it??" Lumi asked incredulously. Her expression was almost comical. She and Rachel were packing up her tent, getting ready to move onto Munich and the last show of the year. The Munich Circus closed down every November and reopened again in the Spring. "What is there to think about??"  
  
Rachel rubbed the dull, growing throb in her temples. "Please, Lumi, this is hard enough. Don't make it any harder." She folded up a blanket and put it in the travel tote. She had been back for less than a week and already she was so stressed, she could barely breath. Between the baby and Kurt and Shiva and, now, Lumi.....she just wanted to go hide.  
  
Lumi swept Rachel's plea aside. "There's nothing to think about!" She stuffed her pillow into the tote. "You're with child. He's offered to marry you."  
  
"It's more complicated than that." Rachel shook her head and tried to stay calm. She loved Lumi like a mother, but she was from an entirely different world than Rachel. She was sure, in Lumi's mind, there really weren't any other options for an unwed woman who found herself pregnant.   
  
"What? What's complicated about this?" Lumi started to break down her bed, then sat down on it instead. She looked at her niece's unhappy face and took a deep breath, "Come, sit with me." She patted the bed space beside her. "Tell me what's troubling you. What's REALLY troubling you."  
  
With her shoulders slumped, Rachel sat down. "I'm just not sure what to do. Do I love him? Of course, I love him. I wouldn't be carrying his child if I didn't love him. Does he love me?" she shrugged her shoulders, "I think he loves the mother of his child. But that doesn't necessarily mean he loves ME."   
  
"Oh...I see." Lumi put an arm around Rachel's shoulders and hugged her comfortingly.  
  
Rachel continued. "I mean, Lumi, we used to be friends. Even once we became more than friends, we were still friends. But, every since that damn vote." She clenched her fists. She sigh, suddenly she was very tired. "First, we didn't talk at all. Now, we talk, but it's so...so..." the word eluded her.  
  
"So tense?" Lumi offered.  
  
Rachel nodded. She massaged her temples again. "I want things to be like they were before. Before the baby...before the vote." She wished uselessly.  
  
"I know." Lumi smoothed Rachel's hair back. "But time can only move forward. I have known Kurt for most of his life. You say you wouldn't be pregnant if you didn't love him? You would have never been in a position to become pregnant if he didn't love you." Rachel had to smile and nod in agreement.   
  
The old gypsy stood and faced Rachel. "He over reacted when he found out you were afraid of mutants. And, yes, he was over reacting when he ended things between the two of you. But, Rachel, he's not perfect. You have to forgive the man one mistake."  
  
Rachel stood up and spread her hands, questioningly. "But, what happens the next time I don't live up to his expectations?"   
  
Lumi stared at Rachel for a long moment, then asked. "Are you going to live the rest of your life so afraid of what MIGHT happen, that you will never be able to enjoy what COULD happen?" With that, Lumi stepped out of her tent and left Rachel alone in her contemplation.  
  
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A few days later, Rachel was alone in the stalls, tending to a horse that had tripped during the equestrian performance and cut it's leg. She wore a long gypsy style skirt she had borrowed from Jemaine. It was probably her imagination, but her trusty old jeans, just felt too tight that morning.   
  
The sound of music and voices could be heard coming out of the tent. The show had finished and people were milling out towards their vehicles. Just then, a black BMW screamed up out of the darkness. Her blood went cold when she saw Ben Gammon get out. The expression on his face told her that he had not been happy about how the vote had gone.   
  
He sought her out like a heat-seeking missile and headed straight for her. When he reached her, he was so furious, the words wouldn't even come out at first. He just stood in front of her, his face an angry red. This was the Ben she remembered.   
  
Rachel raised her eyebrows, waiting patronizingly.  
  
"You voted-against-how could you-you-" his words came out in no particular order.  
  
"I voted against the project." she said simply. She had steeled herself for this. She knew she would have to face him sooner or later.   
  
"You lied." he accused menacingly.  
  
"I lied?" Rachel countered. "I saw the memos, Ben. The schematics. I think you know a thing or two about lying."   
  
At first, Ben tried to act as though he had no idea what she was talking about. Then, his eyes darkened and he moved towards her threateningly. Even though, she could have screamed and brought half a dozen men to her rescue, she didn't. This was her fight, not theirs. And, though she was frightened, she didn't show it. She held her chin up and faced off with him.  
  
"I really thought you had changed Ben." She said, shaking her head.   
  
"Rachel," he took a deep breath, trying to control himself. "You have no idea how much is at stake here. You don't know the whole of what's going on. The people we're dealing with..."  
  
Rachel turned away from him "I know enough. I want you to leave." She dismissed him.  
  
"No! There is too much at stake here. I have worked too hard to have you screw this up." He grabbed her roughly by the wrist and spun her around. His voice was smoldering. "You are going to get your ass in my car. We are going to drive back to Geneva. And, you, my love, are going to retract your vote."  
  
"Oh, I don't think so !" she dared back, trying to free herself. He was hurting her arm, although she wouldn't admit it. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" She squared her shoulders against him then pulled as far away as she could physically get, "Tell me, Ben, how much profit do you stand to gain from this project? How many lives are you willing to ruin to get it?"  
  
"You don't understand anything you stupid, little whore!" He spat. Without warning, Ben raised his hand at her. Rachel cringed, shutting her eyes instinctively and got ready for the blow.......that never came. When she finally opened her eyes, Ben was transfixed in horror as he stared, face to face, with the Incredible Nightcrawler. He glared at Ben, pointed teeth gleaming, his gold eyes shining with an unholy light. His extraordinary hand wrapped around Ben's wrist, easily holding off the impending blow.  
  
"The fräulein asked you to leave." He said quietly and fiercely.  
  
Ben released Rachel's arm unconsciously and tried to wrench away from Kurt. After a moment of struggling, Kurt released him, sending Ben sprawling into the dirt. With a false bravado, Ben attacked verbally. "This is none of your business, freak!" He struggled back up to his feet.  
  
The blue demon stretched the natural curve out of his spine till he stood at his full height of well over six feet. "Rachel IS my business" Kurt answered; now looking down at the American. He turned to her. "Are you all right?"  
  
She nodded, rubbing her wrist. She gave him a small smile.  
  
Ben had a sudden epiphany. "You're the father aren't you? She's been fucking a mutant??" He almost started laughing.  
  
Kurt started towards Ben again, warningly. But he was scrambling for his car. "This isn't over!" he warned Rachel, before slamming his door. With that he raced away, spitting gravel in behind him. Rachel stood mutely and continued rubbing her bruised wrist. When Kurt approached her, she leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He put his arms around her and realized she was trembling.   
  
"Come on, why don't you sit down?" He coaxed her into going back to the RV and poured her a glass of water.  
  
She nodded her appreciation, "Thank you." she said. But didn't touch the water. Instead she sat down on the sofa and wrapped her arms around herself defensively.   
  
"Who was that?" Kurt asked, sitting down next to her on the sofa.  
  
"The Narcissist. Ben Gammon." She answered, quietly.  
  
"He's hit you before hasn't he?" Kurt asked, very protectively. He brushed a strand of her dark hair away from her face.  
  
"Only when he didn't get what he wanted." She answered in mock defense, avoiding his gaze. "I don't guess he appreciated my 'nay' vote on the muta....on the proposal." She didn't like that word, that label - mutants. No more that she liked the label - normals.   
  
"You voted against it?" Kurt asked. He had really wanted to know where her heart had led her in the end, but just couldn't bring himself to ask. Everything about that vote had done nothing but hurt both of them.  
  
Rachel nodded again, but still wouldn't meet his eyes. "I have a bad feeling, Kurt." She knew, in the pit of her stomach that Ben would make good on his threat. "He'll be back."  
  
Kurt put his hand under Rachel's chin and lifted her eyes to his. "And, I'll be here." 


	16. An Answer

NachtcGleiskette - Glad you liked the last chapter so well!!! Patience is a virtue, but I know I am testing the patience of saints at this point! The tie in to the first chapter is coming up very, very shortly, I promise! The tie in to the movie is coming up as quickly as possible. I swear!! :-)  
  
Colleen - Glad you like the last chapter. Kurt coming to the rescue - I liked that part too! ^_^   
  
Pen Pen - No, ff.n wasn't working for anybody.....a lesson in patience I suppose...No, Rachel hasn't said 'yes' But, she hasn't said 'no' either. And, lose the baby? She takes the baby with her everywhere she goes.....Where is she going to lose it at?? (sorry - that was just too easy.) :-P  
  
Blah - Thanks! Hope it continues to be a great story....  
  
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They stayed on the sofa, talking till almost 1:00 am. The longer they talk, the more they relaxed and it started to feel like old times again. Finally, Kurt started to get up. He had been up since dawn and was simply too worn out stay awake any longer. They had decided it would be best, for now, if they kept separate living arrangements. But, when they stood up and Kurt turned to go, Rachel suddenly grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Please, don't go." she implored him. Her run in with Ben had left her more shaken than she had anticipated.   
  
He closed his eyes and sighed. He wanted to stay. He wanted to stay so badly, it hurt. But he couldn't. The past few days had given him time to reflect on their relationship. He knew what his faith demanded and he had ignored it long enough. "I don't want to go Rachel, but I have to. If I don't....." He took the hand on his shoulder and kissed it. "I can't lay next to you and not desire you." He looked shameful. "If we were married, things would be different. But we're not. I can't keep having a sexual relationship with you that goes against my - against our faith. And I can't lay beside you and NOT have sex with you. I can't control myself." He held her hand studying it. "You are pregnant because of my lust. That is bad enough. I can't compound that sin by being unrepentant. I'm sorry."   
  
"Kurt," she consoled him. "Look at me." His exceptional, golden eyes looked up from her hand. "I am not pregnant because you had a lustful heart. I am pregnant because we loved each other."   
  
"I still love you." He gently corrected her, caressing her hand.  
  
She wrapped her fingers around his. "And I still love you.......Please stay." She asked him again.   
  
Then Kurt saw it in her beautiful, dark eyes. She was afraid. She far too proud to admit it, but she was frightened to stay by herself. With this new understanding, he nodded. "I'll sleep on the sofa." He conditioned.  
  
"Fair enough." Rachel conceded, relieved.  
  
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In a darkened office on the 20th floor of the German branch of Donivan Enterprises' Research Facility, Ben Gammon sat silently. An insignificant lamp was the only illumination on his sinister face.  
  
The events leading up to this moment began to twist in his mind. Rachel had broken off their engagement a year ago. But, even so, she still belonged to him. She was his until he decided otherwise.   
  
She had been unfaithful to him.   
  
A mutant. She had cheated on him with a mutant. Not even a mutant that could pass for human. But a creature whose mutations were so severe, he - no, it - was nothing short of a freak. And she was pregnant by it. Ben's face twisted into a frightening mask of hatred.  
  
He stood up and stared at a small bottle of acetophenazines*. He had tried to do want she wanted. He had bent over backwards to make her happy. He went to the useless doctors; took the worthless pills. He didn't have any 'problems.' Why didn't anybody understand that. He was fine. It was HER. It was all HER. A lie SHE had cooked up.....  
  
She couldn't do this to him. He wouldn't let her. He threw the bottle in the garbage, vehemently. He didn't need any pills. He knew exactly what to do. He was going to get her back. Get her away from that demon and take her home. He was going to save her. But, how?  
  
Yanking up the phone, he made a call. "Hey, it's Ben. We need to talk...."  
  
  
  
*********************  
  
Rachel laid awake listening to Kurt's quiet, almost inaudible, rhythmic breathing across the small room. She could barely make out his form, under the blanket, in the dark. He, on the other hand, could have seen her as clearly as if it were broad daylight. Kurt's uniqueness extended to an ability to see in the dark. She remembered, as a child, he used to love playing hide and seek after dark because he had such an advantage over her and Jemaine. Rachel smiled at the memory. Since the night Ben had threatened her, she had been afraid to stay by herself at night, although she wouldn't admit it. But, Kurt knew. Her Blue always knew. And, he stayed with her so she would feel safe. But, true to his word, he slept on the sofa. She gave a frustrated sigh. This was crazy. She was pregnant with his baby and they were sleeping in different beds in the same room! But, at least he was there.   
  
Maybe she had been too hard on him. Lumi's words resounded in her head. Maybe she was just trying to hurt him the way he had hurt her. By rejecting him the way he had rejected her. But, when all was said and done, he did love her and she knew it. Hell, he was over there now, sleeping on a miserable little sofa for over a week, just because she was afraid of the dark. And, he had asked nothing in return.   
  
"Rachel Wagner." She whispered quietly, testing the name out, before she drifted off to sleep.  
  
  
  
Rachel stumbled into the front of the RV in the early morning light, reaching for her saltines. There was an empty cereal bowl on the table, but Kurt was completely engrossed in the box. He was holding it at head height in his hands, peering into it, tipping it this way and that way, his tail flipped over his shoulder buried in it.  
  
"What are you doing???" Rachel exclaimed. "Get your tail out of the cereal!!"  
  
"Rachel!" He looked abashed, "I was just trying to, um, you see there's a, uh..."  
  
"You're trying to get the toy, aren't you?" She scolded, her hands on her hips, suddenly realizing what he was up to.  
  
"The red one is the only one I don't have yet." He looked like a he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Or with his tail in the cereal box, in this case.  
  
"What are you? Four years old??? Give me that!!" She demanded, making a grab for the box.  
  
"No, just wait, I've almost got it." He insisted, backing away from her.  
  
"Give it to me!" She was trying hard to stay serious and not break up laughing, but it was just impossible. She lunged for the box and Kurt easily sidestepped her. "Blue!" She warned.  
  
Finally, she grabbed one side of the box, Kurt still firmly holding the other side, tail still burrowing around. They tugged and yanked on the box till the cardboard gave way. In a sugar coated explosion, brightly colored bits of cereal rained down on both of them. They stared at each other for a moment.  
  
Then Kurt uncurled his tail, revealing the little, plastic prize. "See? The red one." He offered, trying to look innocent and not laugh. But humor pulled the corners of his lips up into a tickled grin.  
  
"OH, I guess you think that was FUNNY...." Rachel answered, a sly grin on her own face. She grabbed the powered creamer out of the open cabinet and unscrewed the top.  
  
"Rachel, don't you dare!!" He put up a finger, warningly.   
  
That was all the incentive she needed. In an instant, the blue furry acrobat was covered in the white powdery stuff. Rachel started laughing uncontrollably.  
  
Kurt shook his head, stirring up a cloud around him. "Well, lets see how you like it!" He snatched the container away and poured the rest of it over the top of her head.   
  
Rachel shrieked and grabbed for him. They wrestled for several seconds, finally ending up against the closed bedroom door. It took several more seconds before they could stop laughing and calm down enough to talk. They rested their arms around each other, comfortably. When Kurt looked down into her eyes, he saw a soft, contemplative look there. She smiled and reached up to kiss him.  
  
"Let's find a priest." She whispered into his ear.  
  
Kurt thought his ears deceived him, at first. Then, he felt his heart would burst as reality of her words hit him. He didn't know how to react. Words wouldn't come at first. He just grabbed her up in a fierce hug. "Do you mean it?" He finally managed.  
  
"Well, it's not April Fool's Day, is it?" she joked. "Yes, I mean it." she added, lovingly putting her head on his shoulder. "I love you, Blue. I want to marry you." It was as profound and as simple as that. Away from Donivan Enterprises and the National Security Division, away from men like Ben Gammon, things could be simple. She was ready for things to be simple.  
  
Just then, Lumi knocked at the front door and let herself in. She stared at the two of them, covered in cereal and powered creamer and at the mess all over the kitchen area of the RV. She made disapproving sounds and started cleaning up.  
  
"Oh, don't mind us, we just live here!" Rachel retorted at her aunt's invasion.   
  
"The two of you have WAY too much to do, to get ready for this wedding to be carrying on like children!" She reprimanded, pointing at the scattered cereal.  
  
Kurt and Rachel stared at each other, disbelieving. Then they turned towards Lumi with suspicious gazes.   
  
"Ok, are you psychic or do you just stand outside the RV with your ear to the door?" Rachel demanded.  
  
Lumi only laughed. "I'm on old gypsy woman. I know these things."  
  
************************  
  
*Acetophenazine is a generic name for neuroleptic medications used to treat.......schizophrenia.  
  
Okey dokey - Click that button just below and let me know what's on your minds! 


	17. Let No Man Put Asunder

Hey everyone!  
  
Just a note to start off.....  
  
After reading Pen Pen's review. I re-read my last chapter and remembered why I should NEVER upload chapters late at night when I am tired! Please, let me clarify. Ben is NOT schizophrenic. Acetophenazines are used to treat a WIDE variety of mental disorders that involve a loss of one's grip on reality, including, but not limited to, schizophrenia. (Thus the reason Ben thinks Rachel has cheated on him even though she broke up with him months before she ever even moved to Germany, etc.) I stuck the footnote in at the last second, to help make things more clear, but I think I made things more unclear instead. Please, forgive me. :-)  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Thanks!! I have loved ALL the feedback you've given!  
  
Snap - It was one of my favorite chapters to write!   
  
Angelfish - yeah, I hate it when I am really getting into a story and it just......stops. Argh!!!   
  
Colleen - Glad you're having fun!! Hang on!  
  
Pen Pen - Thanks for asking about the schizo question. Because, no, that would not have made sense. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!! :-)  
  
Frizzy Hair - Thanks!! I try to update as quickly as I can. I hate waiting for updates on stories I am reading. I am the impatient kind, anyway. ;-)   
  
Ophelia-Rose - What could POSSIBLY go wrong???? :-P  
  
Mama - you blush?? gosh! Thanks! (I think)   
  
Genevieve - This is my first fan fic so THANKS! This story keeps me on the edge of my seat and I KNOW what's going to happen.  
  
Sicklepod - Don't act normal on my account! I never do! No, Ben is not a very nice guy. And, he's about to get a whole lot LESS nice....  
  
One more note......  
  
Have you figured out who Ben's mysterious business partner is yet??? Have a hunch?   
  
*****************  
  
Ben sat at his desk, lost in thought, amid piles of paper work. There was a knock at his door. "Come in." He called, checking his watch. 4:00 pm on the dot. Ben had always liked punctuality.   
  
"Please have a seat." His guest sat down and studied him. "I appreciate you coming here on such short notice, Bill."   
  
Bill took off his eyeglasses and studied Ben as if he could see the man better without them. "She refused to retract her vote I, take it." He seemed, almost amused.  
  
"She's been poisoned by this blue furred freak!" Ben slammed his fist on the desk, shaking the mountains of papers. There was a mad gleam in his eye. "I have to get her away from him! Find a way to get her to come back home. To listen to reason."  
  
Bill leaned forward and picked up a stray photo that had fallen in the floor. "What you need Ben, is some leverage." He fell silent, looking at the photo, waiting for Ben.  
  
"How?" Ben's voice was treacherous.   
  
"Not how....who." He put his glasses back on, still studying the photo. "Is she attached to this mutant?"  
  
Ben jumped to her defense. "He's done something to her! This is not the Rachel I know. The Rachel I know would have never-" he stopped short. He wouldn't even say it out loud. He refused to admit she would be pregnant with a mutant's baby. Most of the time, his mind was almost able to shut out that fact entirely.  
  
The older man regarded Ben with interest. "She has something you want. You get something she wants, then you have some bargaining power." he explained. Ben didn't quite understand.  
  
He tossed the surveillance photo of Kurt Wagner back up on the desk under Ben's nose. "You get the mutant - You'll get the girl." William Stryker smiled, coldly.  
  
  
  
***************  
  
Rachel sat in the RV, letting Jemaine braid her hair into a thick, dark rope down the center of her back. She was a million miles away.  
  
"Are you listening, Rachel?" Lumi asked impatiently.   
  
Rachel shook her head back into the present. "I'm sorry Lumi. What did you say?"   
  
"I said, I have something for you." Lumi opened a plain wooden box and withdrew an intricately designed gold bracelet. "This belonged to your grandmother. She passed it down to her girls, and now I'm giving it to you." She said fondly.   
  
Rachel felt tears in her eyes and she looked on it. "Lumi, that belongs to you. You should keep it."  
  
"It would make me happier to see you wear it. It's charmed. It will bring you good luck." She promised, clasping the shiny gold treasure around her niece's slender wrist. "Something old." She smiled.  
  
"Here," Jemaine said, handing Rachel her new gold earrings. "They've never been worn - something new AND something borrowed. I want those back!"  
  
They all laughed.   
  
"What about something BLUE?" came a voice from the RV door. Rachel's eyes lit up.  
  
"Kurt!!" Jemaine scolded, shooing him away. "You're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding!" She pushed him back out the door. "Go on! GET!!"  
  
"The bride is pregnant! He's done more than look at her!!" Rachel called after the two of them in retort. She made a disappointed sound as Jemaine shut the door. Then, suddenly, behind her, there was a 'bamf' and Kurt, materialized, nuzzling her neck.  
  
Rachel laughed delightedly. But, Lumi charged at him, with mock ferocity. "You're going to bring misfortune to the marriage!"  
  
"Love you!" he whispered into her ear and then, laughing, vanished in a cloud and flash of brimstone just as Lumi was on him.  
  
******************  
  
The priest, called to perform the wedding understood the 'uniqueness' of their situation. Father Steven had baptized Kurt as an infant. In fact, Kurt had even discussed with him the thought of becoming a priest himself, once, long before Rachel had re-entered his life.   
  
The ceremony was held in a quiet chapel in the middle of the night. The last thing anyone wanted was the moment ruined by a church member coming to confession and thinking a demon was loose in the building. Lumi and Jemaine stood as witnesses. Vows were exchanged and Rachel's wedding ring was blessed. Before it seemed possible, after all the ups and downs that had lead them to this point, Rachel accepted Kurt's wedding ring and they were made husband and wife, before God, if not the world. Kurt had no birth certificate; no official documentation supporting that the fact that he was even alive. But, neither of them cared what the world thought, anyway. All that mattered was that they were bound together now and no one and nothing could ever separate them again. Father Steven officiated the union by saying, "What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. Till death do you part."   
  
It was mid November and Rachel was just over 3 months pregnant.  
  
**********************  
  
"Don't say it!" Kurt warned her.  
  
"I didn't say anything...." Rachel defended herself, trying hard not to laugh. However, 'I told you so.' was written all over her face.  
  
"You were thinking it!" He twisted and tangling himself even more.  
  
"Hey, thinking it is not saying it." She argued, giggling, no longer able to keep a straight face in sight of what was before her. Kurt stood in the middle of the large family room completely tangled in Christmas lights. She had suggested they wind them onto a spool before trying to string them on the tree, but Kurt had thought that wouldn't be necessary..   
  
"You shouldn't laugh at your husband. Especially not right in front of him." He warned in pseudo sternness, from under a particularly tangled strand.   
  
Rachel picked up a stray end of the lights. "You're right." She waltzed towards the door. "I'll go upstairs and laugh!" With that, she plugged the stray end into the socket, lighting every strand of lights in the room, including the ones entangling Kurt. Her merry laughter could be heard down the hall and up the stairs.  
  
After the circus had closed for the winter, Rachel and Kurt had leased a winter chalet an isolated area of the Bavarian Alps. With no other people around, they were safe from prying eyes. It was far bigger then they needed; they had hope Lumi and Jemaine would come stay with them. But the two women had been adamant that the newly weds needed time to have a proper honeymoon. Finally, they reached a compromise and agreed to come out before Christmas.   
  
At four months, Rachel was grateful to finally be over the worst of her morning sickness. And, she was sure Kurt was grateful she was over the worst of her mood swings. She walked into their bedroom and went to watch the snow fall - again. Kurt didn't really understand her love of the cold white stuff, but it gave her a feeling of serenity. A feeling that she was safe and insulated. It rarely ever snowed where she was from. She might grow tired of the snow after a month or so, but for now, she was completely enchanted.  
  
After a few minutes, she got up from the seated bay window and stood in front of the large mirror over their dresser. She stood, staring at the reflection of her profile. She pulled her shirt up and her fleece bottoms down enough to reveal the ever growing swell of her belly. She rubbed her hand in gentle circles over the child growing there.   
  
"You are beautiful."  
  
Rachel looked up to see Kurt leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed, smiling at her. She smiled back and blushed. "Just wait, in a few more months, I'll look like the Good Year Blimp!" she joked, staring back at her reflection again.  
  
He came over and stood behind her. "You are beautiful." He repeated, burying his face in her hair, wrapping his arms and tail around her. She leaned her head back against him.   
  
After a moment, he brought up something that had been troubling his mind. "Rachel, don't you think you should be seeing a doctor?" He had been worried for some time that she wasn't really getting any prenatal care.   
  
Rachel shook her head, adamantly. "No. Lumi is going to be my midwife. That's all I need." She didn't want to say that she was afraid of what would happen if an Ob-gyn took an ultrasound. She had already been thru that once. She had never told Kurt what had transpired in Geneva. That was her secret. She would never hurt him with it. As a result, she had never shown him the ultrasounds of their child. It might raise too many questions about how she came to have them. Kurt only speculated that the child might be born a mutant. For Rachel, it was a certainty.  
  
They stood like that for a time, Rachel leaned back against Kurt, his arms around her, lovingly. Her hands encompassing the soft swell of her stomach. Suddenly, she jumped, startled.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kurt asked reflexively. His expression went from serene to concerned, instantly.  
  
"Give me your hand." She whispered excitedly, "Hurry!!" She took his hand and guided it over her belly. Kurt could feel a faint, but unquestionable, kick. He kept his hand there, completely captivated, feeling their child's first announcement of its presence. After a few seconds, everything was quiet and still again. They looked at each other through the reflection in the mirror and Rachel smiled with delight.   
  
That night, they lay in bed. Rachel nestled up to her Blue, his arm encircling her. She was finally starting to breathe a little easier. She had not seen or heard from Ben since that one night he had threatened her. Maybe he had found a new hobby. Perhaps pulling the wings off flies or the legs off spiders. She didn't care so long as he left them alone.   
  
They had decided that they would wait until after the baby was born to rejoin the circus. The Circus reopened in March, but by then, she would not be in any shape to do all the traveling required and there was no way Kurt was going to run off and leave her behind. Maybe the following year, all three of them would go back on the road. But, that was a long ways off and Rachel wasn't terribly concerned by it, either way. She had everything she could possibly want right here. She drifted off to sleep in a state of complete contentment.  
  
**********************  
  
  
  
Kurt bundled up as he walked across the snowy ground. The sun had just set and the temperature was plummeting. They were running low on firewood for the bedroom fireplace and Kurt had stepped out into the freezing cold to bring enough in to stoke the fire thru the night. At first, he had objected that this estate was too far away from a hospital if anything happened to Rachel or the baby. But his wife had been insistent that she wanted them to be secluded. He had to admit, it was liberating to him to be able to go outside, away from the circus, without drawing attention to himself.   
  
Kurt smiled suddenly, remembering the emphatic little kicking he had felt from inside Rachel. It was still only a slight swell of her belly, though she complained she was huge. He thought she was more beautiful then ever.  
  
He had leaned down to pick up another piece of firewood when he felt a sharp stinging pain in his neck.  
  
"OW!" He cried, dropping the wood. His hand went to his neck and came away with a small fuzzy yellow dart. "What in the world???" He thought in bewilderment. Just then, everything started spinning and before he could make another sound, the blue furred mutant slid to the ground, into darkness.  
  
Rachel began to worry after fifteen minutes and went outside to look for Kurt. It was bitter cold. "Kurt if this is a joke, it's NOT funny!" She cried into the falling snow. But there was a knot in the pit of her stomach. Kurt was a practical jokester, to be sure. But, this didn't feel like a practical joke. Something was wrong; she knew it.  
  
She made her way across the courtyard, following Kurt's footprints, which were rapidly disappearing in the drifts. The snow was disturbed next to the woodpile, as if, Kurt had fallen. Then other footprints leading away from the woodpile. Confused, she knelt down and took a better look. Then she saw something out of place. A dart. A tranquilizer dart to be more specific. Very similar to the kind zookeepers used. Her heart stopped.  
  
Ben.  
  
******************** 


	18. A Deal You Can't Refuse

Star Dragonmaiden - Good for you! I figured everyone had at least some idea....Thanks for not speaking your suspicions. Keeps it exciting for everyone! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Please, review again!  
  
Genevieve - Here's your next chapter. Glad I can keep you in suspense! Get myself published? blush I'm just glad y'all like this story! Thanks!  
  
Frizzy hair - One update! Here ya go!  
  
Pen Pen - Indomitable Spork Brigade? They sound pretty fierce! You might want to round up the troops... Are you SURE you know how the story ties into the movie??? wink I may just have one or two more surprises up my sleeve - you never know.........  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Epic? Ok, why not! So long as everybody is enjoying it! Glad you liked the last chapter. Where the lights a "fiasco"? hmm....well a fiasco is bigger than a mess, but smaller than a catastrophe, so yes, I would say it was a fiasco. ;-)  
  
********************  
  
It was almost dawn, as Rachel paced the kitchen floor, waiting for the phone call she knew was coming. When the phone finally did ring, she threatened to pull it off the wall.   
  
"What do you want?!?!?" She demanded without even waiting to see who it was. She didn't need to ask. She knew.  
  
"Rachel, please calm down." Came a smooth American voice across the phone.  
  
"Calm down???" She asked incredulously. "Don't tell me to calm down!! What have you done with Kurt??" She questioned, her hand clenching the phone cord.  
  
"Done? I haven't done anything with him....yet." Ben's voice took a sinister dip. "What happens next is entirely up to you."  
  
"What do you want?" She repeated, her heart pounding in her chest.  
  
"I just want to talk." Ben replied, innocently. "Meet me at my office here at the research facility, in Munich." His last sentence was a command, not a request. "Be here at 3:00 this afternoon - don't be late." He warned.  
  
Then the line went dead.   
  
For a long time, Rachel stood staring at the phone. She couldn't be sure if her heart was beating anymore or not. Finally, she gasped deeply and realized she had been holding her breath. She stared out the kitchen window, blindly watching the snow fall.  
  
***********************  
  
There was something cold and metallic beneath Kurt as he tried to orient himself. His head felt like it was full of cotton. The last thing he remembered was going to get some firewood. And being stung...no, not stung - a dart. He had been drugged with a dart. And, now he was here. But where was 'here'?  
  
"The mutant is waking up, sir" Came a tense voice, that seemed to be too far away, somehow.  
  
As Kurt opened his golden eyes, he squinted against the bright, harsh fluorescent lights that reflected off the sterile white walls and floor. He was in a cell of some sort. His head was still in a daze. His first instinct was to teleport to a better vantage point. But he couldn't. It felt like wanting to use your hand, when your arm is in a cast. You could wriggle your fingers, but not accomplish anything. Kurt simply was not able to teleport. There was something terribly wrong. Something was tight around his throat. He tried to reach to see what it was only to realize his hands were in restraints, so were his legs. Even his tail was physically restrained. He was helpless. He fought down the urge to panic. Then his thoughts cleared a little - Rachel! Where was she?  
  
"Rise and Shine!" Said a familiar voice. Ben Gammon. Kurt growled and forced himself to think clearly. He turned his head to see Ben's leering face just a foot from his own. He fought his restraints again.  
  
"Where am I? Where is Rachel?" Kurt demanded.  
  
"You're safe enough for now." Said another voice he did not recognize. A grizzled older man with an accent not terribly unlike Rachel's southern inflection, stepped forward. William Stryker perched his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. "At least, provided that Ms. Donivan does as she's told."  
  
'Ms. Donivan.' Kurt thought. They didn't know. They didn't know she was actually Mrs. Wagner now. Of course, how would they? There had not been an official marriage license. She and Kurt had been satisfied with the unique status of their marriage. It had been blessed by a Catholic Priest and that was all either of them needed. He decided not to correct them. "Who are you?" He demanded.  
  
"My name's William Stryker." He replied. His voice was too jovial for the situation at hand. "We're going to be getting to know one another very well."  
  
"If you hurt Rachel - " He warned.  
  
"No one is going to hurt her!" Ben snapped back, defensively. "You just be worried about yourself."  
  
Stryker looked at the clipboard in his hand. "I must say, Mr. Wagner, you are fascinating....simply fascinating."  
  
Kurt felt a bug under a microscope. "I'm flattered." He muttered, sarcastically, laying his head back against the hard table.  
  
"You should be. You are a mutant among mutants." The older man grinned. "We could have looked for months and not found anyone as perfect for our needs as you."  
  
Kurt wondered what they meant, but didn't dare ask.  
  
With that he and Stryker left the small cell and locked the door behind them. A moment later, there was the smell of an unidentifiable gas. Kurt felt incredibly light headed and slipped back out of consciousness.  
  
**********************  
  
Rachel sat on the expensive leather sofa in Ben's office. She tried her best to stay calm and not let her fears get the best of her. But she knew Ben. When he got like this he could be very dangerous. But, she had never imagined he would try something like this. She wished now she had told Kurt more about their relationship. The reasons she had left. How truly frightened she had been of him. Then, at least, Kurt would've known. Kurt. She shook her head. This was all her fault. She took a deep breath and tried to reign in her worry. This was going to be ok. Somehow, everything was going to be ok. Just then the office door opened.  
  
"Rachel!" Ben said, genially. It was as if he weren't even aware he was holding her husband hostage, he greeted her so warmly.  
  
Rachel stood up and stepped back as Ben tried to hug her. "Where's Kurt?" were the first words out of her mouth.  
  
"Can't you forget about that stupid mutant for one second??" He admonished her, affectionately. "Come, sit down. I haven't seen you in weeks!" He sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. With few other options open, Rachel perched on the edge of the sofa, tense and wary. She eyed him cautiously. He was smiling and congenial. He could very well, strike out and punch her at any second.  
  
"I know the past few months have been very difficult for you. But everything is going to be fine. I've made all the arrangements." He said comfortingly, reaching over to pat her leg.  
  
"Arrangements for what?" She asked, more wary than ever. Her heart was pounding.  
  
"To take you back home. Back to Atlanta. I'll let the mutant go once we're there, right after the wedding, of course." He explained as if he was talking about going on a weekend get away.  
  
"Wedding??" Rachel inquired, with a queasy feeling. "What wedding?"  
  
Ben made a teasing sound. "What wedding?? Our wedding, of course!" He answered enthusiastically. "I swear you can be such an airhead sometimes. But, don't worry. I am going to take care of you from now on. No one is ever going to take you away from me again." His last statement seemed more of a threat than a reassurance.  
  
'Oh God.' Rachel thought, sickly. He could not be serious. But, while his face was still a mask of smiles and benevolence, his eyes were as dark and cold as a grave. He had finally gone off the deep end and he was taking them with him.  
  
She slipped off her wedding ring, unnoticed, and put it in her pocket. If he realized she was married to Kurt, there was no telling what he would do in his current state.  
  
"Ben, stop this." She said quietly, but firmly. "I am not going to marry you. I want you to let Kurt go and I want you to leave us alone."  
  
In a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde transformation, Ben's face turned an ugly red. He leaned towards her frighteningly. "You will do exactly as you're told. Or the next time you see your little gargoyle, it'll be a piece at a time." He smirked, "Maybe I'll start with the tail." His voice was deadly calm. Rachel knew he was serious.   
  
She swallowed hard. She tried to think of a way out of this, but there was only one. After a moment, she spoke. "If I go with you, you will let Kurt go, unharmed?" She conditioned.  
  
"Won't touch a hair on his head." Ben swore.  
  
Rachel dropped her head defeated. "Alright. If you swear not to hurt Kurt, I'll go with you."   
  
Ben smiled, victoriously. "Cross my heart and hope to die." He held up his right hand in a mock vow.  
  
She stood up shakily. "How long-" her voice broke. She cleared her throat and tried again. How long till we leave?" Her voice seemed small and far away, as if it were someone else speaking.  
  
"A couple of days." He shrugged. He stood up and joined her. "I have missed you so much." He whispered into her hair as he came up and stood behind her.  
  
It took every bit of will power Rachel had not to flinch. She furrowed her eyebrows as if his touch was physically painful. Her skin crawled as he slid his hands up her arms to massage her shoulders. She clenched her fists and forced herself to remain still. She knew, for right now, Kurt's life depended on her keeping this man happy. Whatever it took. She willed herself to relax and leaned her head to the side slightly as he moved her dark hair aside and kissed the back of her neck. She wanted to die.  
  
Just then, salvation came in the form of a ringing phone. Ben cursed and pushed her away roughly. "Yes!" He barked into the phone. "All right, I'm just finishing up here." he finished more civilly. He turned back towards Rachel. "Go on. I'll send a car for you in two days. That should give you plenty of time to get things in order." And with that, she was dismissed.   
  
Rachel stopped at the ladies rest room a few doors down from his office. Once inside, she locked the door, backed up to a wall and slid down to the floor, shaking violently. This could not be happening. She swallowed hard and tried to think. Two days. She had two days. What could she do in two days? Call the police? And tell them what? By the time they found Kurt, it would be too late. If they were able to find him at all. There was no telling where Ben had taken him. If she tried anything 'funny' or just failed to keep Ben happy, he would kill Kurt without a second thought and probably her too. She shuddered as she remembered the look in his eyes. And what about the baby? Her hand went defensively to her abdomen. She doubted if his demented mind had even remembered that she was pregnant. When he did remember, and he would eventually - she didn't even want to think about what he'd do.  
  
She sat there, on the cold tile floor for a few minutes, trying to get herself together. Then she heard Ben's voice. She panicked until she realized it was coming through the ventilation shafts. She heard him and another male voice discussing a subject dear to her heart.   
  
"Once you're gone. We'll deal with the mutant." Said a gruff male voice she did not recognize.  
  
"Fine. I don't care what you do with him........so long as it is something - unpleasant." She could visualize Ben's cruel smile.  
  
"I think, this mutant will prove very....useful."  
  
She heard a door shut. She assumed they must have left. What did he mean 'useful?' She shuddered again. Ben wasn't going to let Kurt go as he had promised. Rachel wasn't surprised, but now she was more desperate than ever. Even if she left with Ben, Kurt would still be in danger from this unknown enemy. Surely to God there was something she could do....She silently pleaded to the bathroom ceiling.   
  
She put her hands in her pockets to try to warm feeling back into them. They had become almost numb resting on the floor. The bracelet Lumi had given her snagged on the lining. She reached over with her free hand and gently untangled it. As she worked the bracelet free, the fussy yellow dart she had found at the woodpile fell out of her pocket, onto the floor. It landed with a hollow 'clink' on the tiles. She had forgotten about it. She picked it up and stared at it for a long time, rolling it between her thumb and index finger. The wheels started turning in her head. Two days. She had two days.   
  
She jumped up off the floor and hurried out of the building to her car. It may or may not have been divine inspiration and there were a thousand things that could go wrong with it. But it was a plan.............and she only had two days....... 


	19. Whatever It Takes

NachtcGleiskette - I hope Rachel's plan lives up to you expectations!!! One jail break - coming up!  
  
Frizzy Hair - Thanks! I told everyone we'd get to the adventure part, eventually! he he he!  
  
Sicklepod - Ok, I have to ask..."flowerpot men?" I must be outta the loop.... :-) Thanks for never forgetting that all-important little blue button!  
  
Pen Pen - A sharp cliff is the best kind!! Sorry about my last comment on your review. I was being a smartass.....momma always said find something you're good at and do it better than anyone else.... ;-)  
  
*******************  
  
Rachel pulled into a parking lot outside of Munich and went to use the phone booth. She might have been paranoid, but if Ben had gone through all this trouble, he might have tapped her phone lines too. She couldn't take that chance. It was bitter cold as she dialed the operator.  
  
"English, please." She requested and waited on the line. A few seconds later.  
  
"How may I help you?" came a disembodied voice.  
  
"I need to make a trans Atlantic call, person to person, to a Mr. Joe Donivan." She requested. She gave the phone number and her calling card info and waited. It was time to call in some help. The wind blew hard against the little booth.   
  
"Joe here." Came the most welcomed voice Rachel had heard in days.  
  
"Uncle Joe!" Rachel cried, almost sobbing again.   
  
"Rachel??" He answered, disbelievingly. Then, hearing the distress in his niece's voice, "Rachel, where are you?? What's wrong??"  
  
"Joe, please listen." She got herself back in control. She had to stay coherent. "I'm in trouble. I need your help." She gripped the receiver tighter.  
  
"What's wrong? I'll come get you." He offered. It sounded as though he were putting a coat on to come and get her that second.  
  
"I'm in Munich. I can't talk long. I'll explain everything later. But, right now, I need you to do something for me." She answered .  
  
"Just tell me what you need, baby." Came the eager and willing reply.  
  
*********************  
  
Rachel checked the house, one more time before turning off the lights. Her suitcase was packed at the foot of the stairs. Why was it, every time she and Kurt found some measure of happiness, something came along and took it all away? She dropped her head, sadly. She took her wedding ring off and slipped it into her skirt pocket. Then she raised her head again in grim resolution. She left a letter for Jemaine and Lumi to find when they got there tomorrow. She couldn't involve them. She hated involving her uncle, but she didn't have a choice. She wanted Lumi and Jemaine to be out of harm's way. She only hoped Ben didn't realize she had an aunt and a sister-in-law.  
  
The hired car honked its horn and she picked up her suitcase. She couldn't turn back now. She had to pull this off, or die trying.  
  
When she got to Munich, it was a little after 5:00 pm. Ben met her in the nearly empty parking lot of Donivan Enterprises Project Research Facility and set her suitcase in his BMW. Then they went inside so he could tie up a few loose ends. She paced around his office. Her hand was in her pocket, fingering her wedding ring, comfortingly.   
  
"Well, that should just about do it." He said, turning off his monitor. "Ready to go?" He slapped his hands together, happily.  
  
"Almost." She answered. "I want something, first."  
  
"Name it!" Ben said, generously.  
  
"I want to see Kurt before I leave."  
  
Ben's eyes became black as she mentioned Kurt's name. "Why?" His voice sounded like angry thunder in the distance.  
  
Rachel lifted her eyes, prettily. "I want to say 'good bye.' I owe him that much." She gave Ben a little smile, "Please."  
  
Ben clenched his jaw for a second, then relaxed. "Why not??" He shrugged. "Ok, We'll stop by and see him on the way out. Consider it an early wedding present." He grinned.  
  
Rachel smiled back. "Thank you."   
  
Ben came closer to her. "You should smile more. You are so...tempting when you smile." His voice held a tone she didn't like - lust. But she had to do whatever it took to get him to take her to Kurt. She made herself stand still as he approached her and cupped her cheek in his hand. He bent his mouth down to hers.  
  
Whatever it takes.....  
  
When his tongue commanded entrance, Rachel, reluctantly, parted her lips. She felt one hand go around her waist and pull her forcefully to him. She felt the other hand slid from her cheek, down her neck. She felt she would be ill. But she steeled herself. She rested her hands on his shoulders and kissed him back. He pushed her down onto the sofa.   
  
Whatever it takes...  
  
When an exploring hand grasped her breast roughly, Rachel almost came unglued. She tried to pretend this was Kurt, instead. But Kurt was a generous lover and sought to please her as much as himself. These hands that mauled at her now, only sought their own pleasure. Ben hungrily buttoned Rachel's blouse, his lips never breaking contact with Rachel's skin, as he molested her neck and the base of her throat. He put his hands on her thighs and pulled her skirt up, then forcefully demanded her legs apart.   
  
Whatever it takes, but Please, No.....Please, not this.....  
  
Rachel bit her lip hard to keep from screaming in protest. Just the nearness of him as he laid on top of her was violation enough. She didn't know how much more she could bear. Tears squeezed out of her tightly shut eyes. Ben lifted his weight off her momentarily, to pull her panties down. As he did so, his hand swept over a stomach that should have been flat, but it wasn't. There was a diminutive roundness to it, that repulsed Ben. There was a bastard child there. It was evidence of her infidelity. Infidelity that she flaunted in front of him.  
  
With a sudden fury, Ben wrenched away from her and yanked her off the sofa, violently. With all his strength he backhanded her across the face. Her head snapped back with such force, she was sent flying to the floor. Rachel lay there stunned, the inside of her bottom lip split, tasting blood in her mouth. She stayed still and did not make a sound.  
  
Whatever it takes....  
  
"Let's go see your mutant freak and get out of here." He spat hatefully, grabbing his coat and stepping over her. She pulled herself up off the floor and followed him. They got in the elevator and rode it down to the sub basement level. She stood uneasily beside Ben, putting her clothes back in order. She slipped her hand back into her pocket and clutched her wedding ring again, trying to draw strength from it.  
  
When the elevator doors opened, he led her down a short hallway and through double doors and into a high tech Dr. Frankenstein lab. She couldn't believe that they had Kurt here. When she had been here before, he was so close. She found that heart warming and heart breaking at the same time. Ben walked up to a cell door and unlocked it with his keys. Rachel stood, with her heart pummeling the inside of her chest. She was shaking.   
  
Ben stepped aside and motioned her in. "Go on, he's in there."   
  
She tried not to run. She tried her best to stay calm as she rounded the doorway, but when she saw him, she almost lost all her composure. It was only sheer force of will that held her to her course. Kurt was completely unconscious, restrained on an examining table. He was stripped to the waist, monitors attached to his strong chest. It was obvious that he had been "ill-treated." There were abrasions and dark patches on his velvety, indigo face that could only be dried blood. Her lip started to throb in sympathetic pain. She also saw an inhibitor collar around his throat. Apparently, they were out of the planning stage. There was at least one prototype. It choked the breath out of her, just to see it on him.  
  
Rachel looked up in the corner and saw a video camera. "Who's watching us?" She asked as glibly as possible.  
  
"Oh, no one." Ben shrugged. "Those are just for the researchers to study. They've been turning him loose in here some, watching how he moves." He said as if the mutant were some kind of research animal.  
  
Rachel blanched. She could only imagine what kind of nightmare Kurt had been enduring for the past 48 hours. "Why the collar? All the restraints?"  
  
Ben saw she was obviously distressed. "It's for his own protection, Rachel." He put a comforting arm around her. "He has been hurting himself in here."  
  
'I'll bet. Tied down while you beat the shit out of him is probably more like it.' she thought, despicably. It hit her like a tidal wave just how much she really, truly hated Ben. Rachel's lips trembled as she approached Kurt. "Hi, Blue." She said, leaning down to him. "I've...I've got to go. But, I just wanted to tell you.....I just wanted...." She swallowed hard. "I...I..." There were no word to express the guilt she felt at seeing Kurt in this position because of her. "I'm so, so sorry." She leaned even closer. "I love you." She whispered into his ear, so Ben couldn't here. She brushed his angular cheekbone with her fingertips and stepped away. Tears stung in her eyes.  
  
"Ready to go?" Asked Ben, wanting to get her away from this circus freak.   
  
Rachel, put her hands in her pockets and nodded. She turned towards the door. "Maybe you're right." She said.  
  
"About what?" Ben had always loved being told he was right.  
  
Rachel looked up at him. "Maybe there are some...individuals who are so different, so abnormal, they just can't live in society with the rest of us."  
  
Ben nodded at her sudden insight. She was already starting to come around.  
  
"Maybe they're so dangerous, we have no choice but to put them away." She motioned around her, "In places where they can't hurt anybody."   
  
Ben smiled, "I'm glad to see you are finally starting to understand." He put his arms around her.   
  
Rachel smiled and slid her hands around Ben's neck. Suddenly, Ben felt a sharp sting. Rachel jerked away from him. Her glare was like a physical blow, it was so unexpected.  
  
"And I think we should start with YOU."  
  
Ben pulled a fuzzy yellow dart out of his neck.   
  
"Let's see how well you like it, you son of a bitch!!" She spat.  
  
He grabbed at her, trying to remain standing. But it was useless, she easily stayed out of arm's reach. A second later, he was unconscious on the floor. She reached in his pocket and took his car keys. Then, with a slight, triumphant smile, she put her wedding ring back on.  
  
Rachel ran back to Kurt and quickly unfastened his restraints and detached the monitors as gently as she could. She hadn't counted on the collar or on him being unconscious. That was a problem. But she would just have to find a way around it. The exam table had wheels. She kicked off the wheel brakes, threw a cover over him, and pushed the comatose mutant out the door. She stopped only long enough to lock the cell back and grab a set of keys off a lab table. Maybe one of them would unlock that damnable collar. She would have to test them later.  
  
A few minutes later, she was in the empty parking lot, dumping Kurt unceremoniously into the back seat of the black BMW and covering him up again. Then, she ran to the driver's side and jumped in. The BMW roared to life, seemingly as eager to get out of there as she was. The tires squealed as Rachel raced off into the sunset. 


	20. The Game's Afoot

NachtcGleiskette - Thanks!! I live for your reviews too!..  
  
Kate - Don't worry, (Ok. worry a little bit....Ben and Stryker are hot on their tails...) But, Kurt and Rachel find they are not without friends in the US.... :-D And, please keep reviewing!! Everyone's reviews keep me going!  
  
Sinowa - Hello! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Glad you love it. How do I keep updating everyday? I could tell you, but then, I'd have to kill you....... ;-)  
  
Frizzy hair - Writing this story is addictive....I am enjoying writing it as much as y'all seem to enjoy reading it.  
  
Pen Pen - Yeah, Darn Ben...He just doesn't know when to give up....  
  
*****************  
  
She wasn't sure how her uncle had come about it, and she didn't really want to know, but the day after she had called Joe, a top priority package arrived for her, containing fake ids with her photo on it and a matching Visa Card. The German and US driver's licenses, the passport and Visa Card all read 'Kim Grant." The Visa Card was a corporate card, set up under one of her uncle's companies. Her Uncle Joe had always been a bit of a rogue and he had 'connections' she just didn't have. She knew she would have to have help getting out of Germany and Joe was her best chance.   
  
She idealized her Uncle Joe. He was the black sheep of the family and the only one who ever really understood Rachel. While he would disappear from her life, for sometimes years at a time, he had always been there when she needed him. He was the only one who supported her decision to become a vet instead of getting a business degree. 'Follow you heart.' He had told her. And that is what she did. She looked at the sleeping German in the seat behind her. It is what she was still doing.  
  
It was well past dark, when she pulled into the Frankfurt airport. Just as promised, there was a non descript tan, Volkswagen waiting for her in the parking lot, right where Joe had said it would be in his letter. With no small amount of difficulty, Rachel transferred Kurt from the BMW into the back of the tiny tan car and covered him back up with a green afghan.   
  
**************************  
  
Kurt woke up, slowly. His head and body ached. He lay quietly under the cover for a long time. He wasn't in the lab any longer. But where was he? He was being transported somewhere. Quietly, his hand went to his neck. Unfortunately, the collar was still there. He tested out his arms and legs...no restraints. His tail began curled and coiled like an angry serpent, getting ready to strike. Maybe they thought they had put him so far under, he wouldn't wake up. They would regret that mistake. He peered out from under the dull green blanket and saw there was only one person in the car with him. No other guards. Even in his still dazed mind, that seemed odd. But he had to take advantage of whatever opportunities he had. He might not get another chance.  
  
In a move so quick, your eye couldn't follow it; Kurt leapt up and grabbed the guard by the throat. The guard screamed and the car swerved crazily, tires scraping the shoulders on both sides of the road. The car started spinning as the surprised guard slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel. The vehicle spun to a stand still in the middle of the dark empty road. Kurt started to yank him out of the seat...no, not him....her.........her...........his hands instinctively let go.....something was wrong....Then it hit him.   
  
Rachel!  
  
Rachel took advantage of the moment to fling her door open and make a run for it. What had they done to Kurt that he would attack her??? She got about 4 yards from the car when Kurt sprang out after her. He was oblivious to the fact that he was only half dressed and the temperature was well below freezing.   
  
"Rachel! Stop!!" He called after her. He watched her spin around, clutching her throat. She eyed him wildly in the headlights, her breath coming out of her in gasps of steam in the frigid dark December air.  
  
They stood off against each other.  
  
"Rachel, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you. I thought it was a guard. I-" He begged her forgiveness. He was cut off when she ran to him and threw her arms around him, kissed him intensely, then pressed herself to him.  
  
"Blue!" She cried against his bare shoulder. She didn't have any other words. He returned her embrace, wrapping his arms around her, and closed his eyes in silent prayer of thanks for his freedom and for his amazing wife. He didn't know how she had done it, but somehow, she had rescued him.  
  
"We have to go!" She pulled him back towards the car. "There isn't a lot of time. They'll know your gone soon, if they don't already."  
  
"Rachel. What happened? How did you-? Where are we?" He had a million questions.   
  
"I'll explain on the way." She insisted still urging him back into the car.  
  
****************************  
  
Despite his intense irritation, Stryker had to be impressed. This woman had managed to out wit them. And, she had gotten away with the mutant. They would recapture the mutant, he wasn't worried about that. But it was an inconvenience and he had a schedule to keep.  
  
Ben Gammon, on the other hand, paced his office like a wild animal. She had played him for a fool. He was going to make her pay dearly. No one made him look like an idiot.  
  
"Sir," a young military type spoke to Stryker. "Mr. Gammon's car was just found at the Frankfurt Airport, abandoned. There was a charter plane, reserved for Ms. Donivan that left there for Paris half an hour ago. But they were not on it."  
  
"Of course not, son, that's what's called a decoy." Stryker responded. But, were would she go? They had to be trying to get out of the country, but she couldn't exactly take this mutant onto first class with her. He mused for a moment, then went on a gut feeling. He turned to Ben, "How many planes does Donivan Enterprises own?"  
  
"A lot." He responded, unhelpfully.  
  
"How many jets do they own that can make an intercontinental flight? Oh say, between Germany and the US?" Stryker was starting to lose his patience.  
  
Ben thought for a moment. "Four."  
  
"Are any of them in Europe?"  
  
Ben nodded, starting to see where Stryker was going. "One. It's kept in Cuxhaven." 


	21. Welcome to the Family

NightFlight - Wow! Thanks! This was just a "what-if" story that wouldn't get out of my head...I really appreciate the compliments! Please, keep reviewing!  
  
NachtcGleiskette - I know. But, at least they are together..... ;-)  
  
Jeanne - Thanks for all the feedback! Sorry about the "thru." I get nailed for that a lot! ha ha! I may go back and correct previous chapters, but right now, I am more focused on the chapters coming up. Your question about the advert for the vet is a good one. Here's the answer: When you read back, Jemaine comments that they couldn't afford a FULL-time vet. That is why the advert was for a "part-time vet," which, believe it or not, is pretty common. In chapter 4, I didn't actually write it into the story, but I tried to imply that Rachel had offered the owners of the Munich Circus far more than they had asked for. They were only hoping to find a part time, i.e. cheap, vet. Instead, Rachel volunteered to be a full time, on site vet, pro bono. I hope that answers your question. I try to make things flow as realistically as possible, but I won't say there are not going to be a few times that I ask you to suspend reality. ;-)  
  
Pen Pen - Glad to see those reviews are still coming! Thanks!   
  
2_lay_z - More? You got it!  
  
Sinowa - I told y'all the first chapter was going to tie in? Would I lie? :-D  
  
Sashi - Thanks for the reviews!! Glad you're enjoying the story. Please keep reviewing!  
  
Sicklepod - There you are! "Flowerpot men" That's pretty funny!   
  
ronlover - Like I've told others, you reviewed! Now, I know you're there! That's worth it's weight in gold to me!  
  
Wow everyone! Now, I'm starting to get nervous! I got to make sure I keep living up to everyone's expectations! Thanks y'all!  
  
*********************  
  
Rachel handed Kurt a change of clothes out of her suitcase and brought him up to date, as they drove. She had drugged Ben, much the same way he had had Kurt drugged. She had used the medetomidine hydrochloride that she had used on Shiva, months earlier. She told Kurt that Ben had finally gone over the edge, and demanded that she return to the US with him in return for Kurt's freedom, but neglected to tell Kurt the price she had almost had to pay to get Ben to take her to him. It had been degrading enough just having to live through it. She suspected Kurt knew he wasn't being told everything, but for the time being, he seemed to let it pass. She ditched Ben's BMW at the Frankfurt Airport. She explained that her uncle had arranged everything else, including the rental car. Now, they were headed to Cuxhaven and out of the country.  
  
"So, exactly, HOW are we going to get out of Germany?" Kurt asked. Germany had been his home, all his life. And, in truth, he didn't want to leave. But, like so many other things in his life, what he would have preferred was irrelevant.   
  
Rachel pointed straight ahead as they pulled into the parking lot of the small airport in Cuxhaven.  
  
The sunrise was bright and clear as it peaked over the eastern horizon. A huge black Boeing 747 loomed on the runway, "Donivan Enterprises", written on the tail in brilliant, elegant gold lettering, radiant in the early morning light. Kurt was impressed. "Wow."   
  
Rachel had to smile as she nodded. "Compliments of Donivan Enterprises. We're in the home stretch. Now we just have to wait for the OK to take off."   
  
Joe had made arrangements for the plane to be ready, but they were early. When Rachel went to check on the plane, it was still being maintenced and fueled. But, it would be ready within the hour. Fortunately, the tiny airport was empty this early in the morning, but still, Kurt stayed out of sight in the pilot's lounge restroom, till time to leave. Rachel hung an "out of order" sign on the door and waited with him.  
  
Kurt easily balanced himself on the narrow lavatory. He was sitting with his legs drawn up on either side of him, his forearms resting lightly on his knees. Rachel leaned against the counter, facing him, cleaning his wounds with a clean wash cloth and warm water. He could have done this himself. In truth, he would have rather done this himself. He was afraid of Rachel becoming upset at the lacerations and bruises he had obtained while he was a "guest" of the Donivan Research Facility. But Rachel had been insistent that she wanted do this. And, in truth, her touch was soothing to his mind and body.   
  
With his indigo fur, it was hard to tell the extent his injuries, but as she routinely rinsed out the wash clothe, the water in the basin became a deeper and deeper shade of pink. She let the water out and filled it up again. They were silent in the small, dim room.  
  
"Do you suppose there's a way to get this thing off?" Kurt asked, fingering the tight metal collar around his throat.  
  
Rachel nodded; her voice was small and tired. "We'll probably have to take it apart." That was not going to be easy. "It could take a while. Can it wait till we're in the air?"  
  
Kurt nodded, agreeably. "Of course, it can."   
  
They fell back into silence, each trying to find the words to comfort the other and to come to terms with the past three days. Finally, Rachel just laid her head against Kurt's chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. He put his arms around her and laid his head on top of hers. The only sound was that of the running faucet.   
  
"What happened back there, Blue?" Rachel asked, watching the water basin fill back up. "What did they do to you?" A lump rose up in her throat  
  
Kurt did not answer, at first. The time he spent in that torture chamber had been a continual nightmare of needles and tests and torment. "It doesn't matter." He consoled her.  
  
She pulled away enough to study him for a moment, then looked back at the basin and responded, quietly. "Yes, it does."   
  
They were silent for a few more moments, then Kurt shook his head and turned the tables. "When are you going to tell me?"  
  
Rachel knitted her eyebrows. "Tell you what?"  
  
"Whatever it is that you haven't been telling me." He smiled at her startled look, but his eyes were serious. "More has happened than you are willing to let on." He stared at her for a moment, then frowned. He took her chin in his hand. His eyes narrowed on the rapidly darkening bruise around her swollen bottom lip. He couldn't believe he had just now noticed it. "How did this happen?" His tail curled angrily.  
  
Rachel averted her eyes and turned away from him. Without something to distract her, she could still feel Ben's weight and his touch on her, smell his scent in her nose and it made her feel soiled and dirty. She turned off the water and dunked the washcloth in the clean water. Then wrang it out, as if she were choking it.  
  
Kurt studied her carefully, then reached out and took her arm, turning her back towards him. "Schatz.... Do not keep secrets from me. Tell me what happened."   
  
Suddenly she felt, regardless of the circumstances, she would rather the ground open up and swallow her whole, than tell Kurt what had taken place with Ben. "I'll make you a deal, Blue." She offered, still unwilling to meet his gaze. "I won't ask you what happened in that lab. You don't ask me what happened in Ben's office."  
  
That was the wrong thing to say. Instead of curbing Kurt's insistence, that only made it ten times worse. He came off the counter in a heat. "What happened?!?!" He demanded, taking her by the shoulders, more roughly than he meant. She dropped the washcloth into the sink, and recoiled from him. "What did he do to you?" He commanded an answer, which Rachel would not give. There was something very wrong. He felt certain that if Ben had just hit her, she'd tell him. So, what was she hiding? Why wouldn't she tell him what had happened? Then, as he, carefully, turned her face towards his, he saw the haunted look in her eyes. No.... "Mien Gott, Rachel. He didn't...force you...." Kurt's voice dropped to a horrified whisper. He couldn't finish.   
  
Rachel shook her head earnestly. It hadn't gone, entirely, that far. "No! He wanted to...." Her face turned crimson with shame. As she spoke, she could feel his hands all over her again. She took a deep breath and tried, desperately, to pull herself together. "He got angry instead." She motioned to her lip. She picked the washcloth back up and wrung it out in both hands. Twisting it so tightly, her knuckles were white.   
  
Kurt took the cloth out of her hand and took what little self-control she had with it. She didn't want to cry. She didn't want Ben to have that kind of power over her. But, as Kurt pulled her close, she realized Ben DIDN'T have that kind of power over her - her Blue did. Giving up all pretenses of composure, she started sobbing and buried herself in the safety of his waiting arms. Her life, up to this point, had not prepared her for this nightmare. And, nothing could prepare for her for what was to come.   
  
  
  
******************************  
  
Kurt held her till she calmed down. They ended up sitting on the worn floor, leaning against the door. She was curled up against him, her head on his chest. He stroked her soft dark hair and whispered soothing things to her as his mind raged. Catholicism, like all Christian faiths, mandated that 'thou shall not kill. ' That was just about all that was keeping Ben Gammon alive.   
  
They both tensed as they heard the lounge door open. "Rachel?" A husky voice called.  
  
Rachel dried her eyes. "Uncle Joe?" She whispered. "Damn it!" She cursed. "I told him NOT to come here." She had wanted him as uninvolved as possible. Finally, she sighed. "Well, I guess it's time to meet the rest of my family." She smiled up at Kurt.  
  
"Does he know...." Kurt left unfinished questions hanging in the air.  
  
Rachel nodded, as she stood up, a little shaky. "I wrote him when we got married. When I was a little girl, I would come home at the end of every summer and tell him about you, but I have a strong feeling he always thought I was making you up." She grinned slightly at the memory. "Or, at least greatly exaggerating the truth."  
  
Kurt stood up with her, in one thoughtlessly graceful move. But, he wasn't smiling. He knew what to expect. "Rachel, don't you think your uncle will be....alarmed?" He motioned to his appearance.   
  
With all her heart, Rachel wanted to say 'No.' Joe had always been her hero. But, Kurt was right. "Maybe, I should explain things to him first?" She offered.   
  
"I'll stay here." Kurt sighed, sitting up on the sink again. He always thought that one day he'd get used to this. So far, that day hadn't come.  
  
Rachel smiled reassuringly and took his hand. "Uncle Joe will love you." She encouraged Kurt, "Just like I do."  
  
Kurt laid his free hand against her stomach and kissed her, lingeringly. "Hopefully, not JUST like you do." He grinned devilishly. She couldn't help but grin back.   
  
Rachel opened the restroom door and stepped into the lounge. When Joe saw his only niece, he grabbed her up in a great hug. "Thank God, you're safe." He said, sighing a great breath of relief.  
  
"Thanks to you." Rachel answered, returning the hug. "Now, what the Hell are you doing here??"  
  
Joe Donivan was a great bear of a man. And, his silver gray hair only served to make him that much more handsome. He motioned Rachel towards a sofa. "My favorite niece runs away and joins the circus, writes me a letter and says she getting married to an acrobat, then calls on the phone, crying and saying she in trouble and you ask - 'why am I here???'"   
  
Rachel sat down on the old worn sofa and couldn't resist teasing. "I'm you ONLY niece, Joe."  
  
He sat on the sofa next to her. "I want some answers, Rachel." He demanded, gingerly examining her bruised swollen lip and red, teary eyes. "Did your husband do this??" He asked, dangerously.  
  
Rachel could only imagine Kurt's expression in her head, as he had to over hear that. She shook her head. "No, Ben did this."  
  
"Ben?" Joe asked, but not at all surprised. "Tell me what's happened. I want to know everything."   
  
Rachel started to recount everything that had transpired to bring her to this point, including the project Ben was working on, the visit from Professor Xavier, and the impending addition to the family. Joe seemed taken back by that last part, especially, but pleasantly so. However, she omitted one very important point. Which she brought up, now.  
  
"Uncle Joe, there is one more thing I should tell you." She started. She fidgeted with her gold bracelet for a moment.   
  
"My God!" Joe ran his fingers through his hair. "You mean there's MORE?"  
  
Rachel nodded. "Do you remember when I was a little girl, how you always told me that we shouldn't judge people by how they look? That it is what a person is like inside that counts?"  
  
Joe nodded.  
  
"Do you REALLY believe that?"  
  
Her uncle nodded again.  
  
"My husband....." She bit her lip, careful not to reopen the split. How should she approach this? "Kurt isn't....he's not..." She stopped, scratched her head, and started again. "I don't know exactly how to-"  
  
"It's all right, Rachel." Joe smiled. "I know."  
  
"Know what?" Rachel asked startled.   
  
"Do you really think I'd just let my only niece run off to Europe and never even check up on her?" He smiled, slyly.  
  
"You've been spying on me??" She was irked at that thought.  
  
Joe held up his hands in defense. "Not spying. Just checking in, every now and again. To make sure you were ok." He laughed good naturedly at Rachel's disapproving gaze. "Ok, I was spying. But I really did just want to make sure you were ok." He thought back on her story. "Obviously, not often enough! But, I know who...and what Kurt is." He stood up and called around the room. "It's all right Kurt. You can come out."  
  
Slowly, the door opened and the mutant stepped out, cautiously approaching Joe. He was used to being feared by strangers. This was new territory for him. The two men stared at each other for a moment. Then Joe extended his hand. "Welcome to the family, Kurt." 


	22. Into the Wild Blue Yonder

NachtcGleiskette - Thanks! We must enjoy such fleeting sweetness....   
  
Sinowa - It was meant to be a little bit cute. They needed a chance to catch their breath after running all the way from one end of Germany to the other!  
  
Sashi - Thanks for sticking up for me. Ha ha!! I have written it as 'thru' for so long, I don't even think about it. Glad you are still enjoying the story. Please keep reviewing!  
  
Gen - Wow....I was just glad people read the story....sure, you can print it out. Not that I could have stopped you if I wanted anyway! But, thanks for asking permission, first. :-) I am very flattered!!  
  
Pen Pen - Thanks! I think everyone has an Uncle Joe....  
  
Frizzy hair - Thanks! I'll try.  
  
Just Sarah - Hey, we're all human right? What fun is it if you can always predict what everyone is going to do? You can't do that in real life......and, yes, chapter 20 brings you up to the present in chapter 1. :-)  
  
Jeanne - Gosh, I'm sorry. I mean about the guy. I'm glad my story has helped you deal with your loss a little. To be honest, (and I've made this statement before) I just could not buy the romance between Kurt and Storm. I think the writers of the movie definitely leaned that way, but I don't ever remember Kurt and Storm being romantically involved in the comics. (Maybe they were and I missed it.) If it had been Kurt and Jemaine, or Kurt and Amanda, that would be a different matter. So, this is one of those times I am going to ask you to suspend the "reality" of the movie. But, he does seem to, at least, have tenderness towards Storm. If he didn't have romantic feelings towards her, what else could it be????? hmmmm.......  
  
***********************  
  
They sat around a small cafeteria style table. They made for a strange trio as they waited for the plane to finish fueling. Rachel excused herself to use the restroom. Kurt and Joe were left alone.   
  
"She is something else, isn't she?" Joe shook his head as he stared after her.  
  
Kurt smiled and nodded. "Yes, she is."  
  
Joe turned to his new nephew. "Kurt, she is all I have in this world..."  
  
"I understand." the German replied. She was all he had left in this world either. Her and their child and his faith.  
  
"If anything were to EVER happen to her..." Joe continued and left the obvious charge unspoken.  
  
Kurt met his stare with grim resolution. "I swear to you, I would die before I would let any harm come to her. Or to our child."  
  
Joe nodded. "So long as we understand each other."  
  
************************  
  
"Why is the plane kept here instead of Munich or Frankfurt?" Kurt asked, curious.  
  
Joe grinned. "Even Donivan Enterprises has to watch the bottom line. The rent on storage for the plane here is a third what it is in larger cities." He stood up and stretched. "The plane flies in and out of the larger cities. But when it's on the ground, it stays here."   
  
Kurt nodded. That made sense. Then he changed the subject. "Do either of you know of a man called William Stryker?"  
  
Rachel shook her head, but Joe turned around alarmed. "Colonel William Stryker??"   
  
Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. But the man who was with Ben Gammon said his name was William Stryker."  
  
"Stryker is the mad scientist of the mutant world." Joe said, sitting back down. "He has been working to cure the world of the 'mutant problem' since the '70's." Joe scratched his well-trimmed silver beard. "If he's after you. You can't get away fast enough."  
  
Rachel took Kurt's hand, earnestly. "Sweetheart, what happened in that lab? What did Stryker want?" She had a sick suspicion the mysterious voice she had over heard in the ladies bathroom was none other than the mad scientist at hand.  
  
Kurt didn't want to say. He didn't want to burden Rachel with anymore concern. God knew, she had already been through enough. But, this affected her, as much as him. "He didn't say, but he said I was "perfectly" suited to his needs."  
  
Just then, the phone rang. Rachel jumped to spite herself. Kurt squeezed her hand reassuringly. Joe got up and answered it. After he hung up, he threw on his coat. "Plane's ready. Let's go."  
  
Rachel stood up. "No, Uncle Joe. You're not going."  
  
"What??" He said incredibly.  
  
She took a posture Kurt had become all too familiar with. It was the posture that said 'you have already lost this argument.' In spite of her fiery disposition at the moment, Kurt grinned, a little, as he watched her.  
  
"If this Stryker is as dangerous as you say, I don't want you involved anymore than you already are." She stared him down. "You can help us by returning the rental car to Frankfurt."  
  
Joe set his mouth determinedly. "If you think, for one second, that I am just going to let my only living family fly off into the wild blue yonder with two madmen chasing after her. You're crazy."  
  
Kurt watched the duel, back and forth, with interest. So, this is were she got her temper from. Speaking of temper.....  
  
"You're not going and that's final!!" She motioned the finality of the decision with her hands.  
  
"I AM going and THAT's final!!" Joe shot back, zipping up his coat.  
  
Cars could be heard in the distance. And sirens.  
  
They all three ran to the small windows and looked out. Cars were racing up the road towards the airport. Coming for them.....Rachel pulled her uncle into a big hug.  
  
"I love you, Uncle Joe." And with that, she took a second dart out of her pocket. As her uncle fought for consciousness, she promised. "I will contact you as soon as I can." And he slumped to the floor.   
  
Kurt grabbed their suitcase in one hand and Rachel by the other hand. "Come on, we have to go!" He urged. They ran out of the lounge, back into the hanger, and out onto the runway. The huge plane only got bigger as they got closer to it. The raced up the movable stairs to the door panel, two steps at a time.  
  
Once in the plane, Rachel shut the door and made for the cockpit. Kurt was caught for a moment by the sheer luxury of the plane itself. It was custom designed to impress. And it did. "Kurt, I need you up here!" Came a voice from the front of the plane.  
  
Kurt stopped short when he entered the cockpit. It suddenly dawned on him that they were the only two people on the plane. Rachel was already in the pilot's seat, pulling the headset over her ears.   
  
"Rachel..." He said, uncertainly. "Who's going to fly the plane?"  
  
Rachel didn't answer. Instead, she flipped several switches and listened to the huge plane roar to life in obedient response. Then she pushed several more buttons and pushed forward on the throttle. The plane rolled forward. "You may want to sit down and buckle up, sweetie." She said, absently.  
  
Kurt had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly, HE was afraid of heights. He sat down in the co pilots seat with a dead thud. "Rachel....are YOU going to fly this plane?"   
  
She looked at him, irked, but amusedly so. "Yes, unless you'd like to take a shot at it." She offered. She pulled hard on the rudders, the plane swerved to the left, rolling towards the runway. Below them, they could see military vehicles trying uselessly, to block them.  
  
Kurt, sunk lower in the seat as the plane taxied down the runway, picking up speed. He began to pray silently, clutching his crucifix. It took the entire length of the short runway to get enough thrust and lift, but in a smooth, experienced motion, Rachel pulled back on the yoke and the plane's wheels lifted off the ground. They were air borne.  
  
Kurt looked at his wife, suspiciously. She was entirely too calm. And Kurt did not believe in beginner's luck. "You're a pilot?"   
  
Rachel smiled innocently. "I'm sitting in the pilot's seat aren't I?"  
  
He leaned towards her. "You're afraid of heights."   
  
She lifted her finger in correction. "I'm afraid of falling. This isn't falling. This is FLYING."   
  
He got up and stood over her. "You never told me you were a pilot."  
  
She looked up at him, wryly. "Well, you never told me you were a mutant. So I guess that makes us even!" Then she sat back a little. "Honestly, I'm not certified to fly an airliner larger than a Lear jet, but they can add it to the long list of charges I'm sure I've tallied up in the past 24 hours."  
  
He finally laughed. "You are full of surprises, Rachel Wagner!" He kissed her, fondly.  
  
*********************  
  
Stryker called down the order to shoot. "Damn it!" He yelled at the Sergeant. "I want it alive!" He stalked back to his car. Ben Gammon waited in a dark fury.  
  
He sat back in the car and warmed his hand against the car's vent.   
  
"What now?" Ben asked, as he watched the huge plane become smaller and smaller in the distance.  
  
For a moment Stryker said nothing. Then, he settled back against the leather seat. "Why don't you make yourself useful and see where that plane is scheduled to land. Because sooner or later, they're going to have to come down."  
  
Ben started to make an angry retort, then jerked the car door open, instead, and stalked off to the tower. Stryker motioned to his sergeant once Ben was out of earshot.  
  
"Yes, sir?" Said the young sergeant.  
  
"Son, when the plane lands, we'll be there." Stryker informed him. "I want that mutant alive." He said in no uncertain terms.   
  
"Yes, sir." The sergeant replied, nodding. Then he sensed there was more to be said. After a moment he asked. "What about the woman?"  
  
Stryker's eyes were unconcerned. "Kill her."  
  
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Little Blue button time!!!! Thanks for all the reviews! 


	23. Fröhliches Weihnachten

NachtcGleiskette - Thanks for the continuing encouragement! I always look for your review. :-)  
  
Blue furry elf - Welcome!! Thanks for the review. If you are a German speaker, may I use you as a translator??  
  
Angelfish2 - Thanks so so so much!!! I need to hear that every now and again when I am starting to doubt my ability to keep everyone interested! Please continue to review  
  
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Kurt walked out into the main body of the plane. There were two long, soft, fawn colored sofas that sat against either side of the plane, while two matching leather recliners were set up at either end of a long coffee table that ran between the sofas. There was a wet bar towards the back of the long, narrow room. Beyond the wet bar, he past a restroom, then opened a door into a bedroom. Why there would be a bedroom on a corporate business plane, was a mystery to him. But, there it was. Maybe it was an American thing... He stared at the bed for too long and not because he was sleepy. Of their own accord, his baser instincts started to wonder if there was any truth to the "Mile High Club."   
  
Rachel joined him back in the main area of the plane. He looked at her with some alarm. "Shouldn't you be flying the plane??"  
  
She waved towards the cockpit. "The autopilot is on. We are going to hold this altitude and heading for awhile." She touched the collar on his neck. "Want to try to get that damn thing off?"  
  
Kurt nodded. "Absolutely."   
  
A few minutes later, Kurt was reclined in one of the comfortable chairs, holding a small flashlight with his prehensile tail to help Rachel see the multitude of small color coded wires she had pulled out of the collar. His neck was bent at an angle that was humanly impossible. She straddled his lap, her skirt pulled up around her. She was completely absorbed in the task at hand, using a small screwdriver and a pair of wire cutters, referring to the schematics Xavier had given her a lifetime ago. Kurt, on the other hand, was slowly going insane, as she rubbed, thoughtlessly, against him. He alternately clenched his fists and gripped the armrests in silent frustration, his tail coiled around the flashlight to tightly, he threatened to break it in two. After several failed attempts and one or two electric shocks, their patience was rewarded with a click as the collar fell away.   
  
Kurt's hands went to his throat as he took his first free breath in days. He smiled his gratitude to Rachel as his wily tail laid down the light and slipped under her skirt, snaking up her defenseless inner thigh. She gasped with surprise. Looking at him teasingly and wagged the screwdriver in his face. "You better watch it, you little German spider monkey!" Then she looked down in his lap and saw the source of his distress. "Really, now...." She grinned slyly, with her eyebrows raised, massaging him lightly just under his belt. He jerked, involuntarily at her touch.  
  
"I'm just trying to say 'thank you.'" He answered, trying to keep his voice level. His hands joined his tail in caressing her body.  
  
Rachel's smile faded as it was replaced with an expression of arousal. She closed her eyes, lost in the sensation, as his hands fondled the small of her back and his tail traced circles on her thigh. She ran her fingers lightly up his sinewy arms, feeling his velvety fur under his long sleeved shirt. 72 hours ago, she feared she might never see him again. And, their future was uncertain, at best. But at this moment, he was here and for the next little while the outside world could not touch them.   
  
He leaned forward, kissing her neck and the delicate skin behind her ear, as she ran her fingers up his arms to his shoulders, then tightly laced them in his curly, ebony hair.   
  
"If you want to thank me," she whispered, thickly, against his pointed ear, sending shivers down his spine as her warm breath tickled across his skin. "We could step into the back and 'discuss' it." He followed her eyes towards the bedroom. With a thought and a 'bamf', he took her up on her offer.   
  
She woozily, laid back on the bed. Teleporting still had that effect on her, but it only heightened her already intense desire. They stripped each other in record time. Then he laid down on his back and using his well muscled, limber body, agilely flipped Rachel on top of him.   
  
Rachel ran her hands down Kurt's chest, feeling every lithe muscle. Then, she slid herself down his stomach till she was resting so temptingly close that it took all his willpower not to force himself inside her, before she was ready. Even so, Rachel was so warm and willing under his exploring hands and he was so lost in her that he was not even aware as she lifted herself up, but moaned in surprise and pleasure as he slid inside her. He wrapped his tail around her waist, put his hands on her hips and began to move within her as he made love to her. She responded with a smile, her eyes closed, totally enraptured in the moment, whispering his name like a prayer.  
  
******************  
  
"I know it's a few days early, but I wanted to go ahead and give you this." She sat crossed legged on the bed, sheets pulled up around her naked form, a small red and gold gift in her lap. Her face was still a little flushed.   
  
Kurt had been lying on his back, pretending to sleep. He opened one gold eye and gazed at her. "What's that?" He smiled.  
  
"Your Christmas present." She smiled back, offering it to him with both hands.   
  
Kurt sat up with his characteristic grace, and took the small box. "Yours is still in Germany." He guiltily studied the shiny gold bow.  
  
Rachel leaned back against the bed, reached into their suitcase and came back up with a larger white box with green ribbon. "No, it isn't!" Her smile became an impish grin.   
  
"That was SUPPOSED to be hidden." He admonished, but unable to keep a straight face.  
  
Rachel sat up straighter. "And, it was hidden VERY well. It took me FOREVER to find it!"   
  
They broke down into peals of laughter. Then, they stared at each other, the smiles fading away. This was not how either of them had envisioned their first Christmas.  
  
"Well, don't just look at it! Open it!" Rachel urged, breaking the melancholy mood that had taken hold of them.   
  
"You first." He countered, laying the red and gold present down. He couldn't help but smile as she torn the green ribbon off, giggling. She looked like a child. Suddenly, Kurt thought about their own child. He had prayed feverently that it would look like her. Not like him. He knew God had a purpose for all things and that his appearance had to serve some good. But as he stared down at the body he had been born with....no, cursed with. Cursed is how he truly felt. He prayed his child didn't have to bear the same abnormality. If the child had to be born a mutant, let his child look like its beautiful golden skinned, dark haired mother, not like him.  
  
Please, God, not like me.   
  
He was brought out of his sad reflection as he heard Rachel give a little gasp of surprise. Gingerly, she lifted the snow globe out of its box. It's beauty mesmerized her as a tear of emotion welled in her eye. Inside the globe was a fine, detailed porcelain figure of a mother and infant. The mother's dark hair fell loosely down her shoulders and her back as her gaze turned lovingly toward the babe she cradled in her arms. Rachel turned it upside down and turned the key. The gentle melodious strands of "Ava Maria" filled the room. She studied its intricate detail carefully, turning it over and over, raining snow on the gentle scene inside the glass globe. "Thank you, Blue. It's beautiful." She whispered, glowing, and holding the gift close to her. "Your turn."  
  
Kurt made overly much fuss about the present, to make her laugh. First, holding it to his ear and shaking it, listening to the rattle, then, holding the box at a dozen different angles as if he could see through the cardboard if he held it just right. Then, when her patience was at an end, he pulled the end of the glittering gold bow and watched the ribbon give way. He flipped the top of the box flipped off and pulled out a strand of Rosary beads. Instead of the normal crucifix that hung from the end of most beads, this held a cross made of spikes. Kurt held them in reverence. "Thank you , liebe." He smiled. He moved the beads through his hands, getting a feel for them.  
  
"They belonged to my father." She said in a quiet voice.   
  
Kurt looked at the gift with a new sentimentality. "Really?"  
  
Rachel nodded. "I-I wanted you to have them. I know they're not pretty and shiny like a lot of rosary beads-" she started to excuse them.  
  
"They're perfect." He cut her off. "I will treasure them." He looped them around his wrist to emphasize their importance. Rachel stared down at the globe in her hands. Intent on the eternal scene of love and serenity that was there. She seemed on the verge of tears.   
  
"What's wrong?" Kurt asked, gently. He moved over to sit beside her. She cinched the sheet tighter around her.  
  
She could no longer keep up her pretense. "It's not supposed to be like this." She said, bitterly, watching the last bits of snow settle in the globe.  
  
He shook his head. "I know." He whispered, putting his arm around her, encouraging her to lay her head on his shoulder.   
  
She resisted laying her head against him. She didn't want to be comforted. She wanted to be angry. "We should be at home right now! Trimming the tree and baking Christmas cookies with Lumi and Jemaine." Gently, she laid her present down in front of her, before it became a victim of her wrath. She clenched her fists. "Instead, we're...we're....we're HERE!" She didn't even have the words to recount their predicament. "I hate them!" She spat childishly.   
  
"You hate whom?" Kurt cocked his head to the side.  
  
Rachel turned to him, her dark eyes intense with resentment. "All of them! Every human on the planet." She motioned wide, encompassing the world.  
  
Kurt's eyes softened. "Including yourself?" He replied, stroking her cheek. She didn't reply. She stared down at her lap, studying her hands intently. "Shatz, do not hate them. They need your pity and forgiveness, not your hate."   
  
"How can you just sit there and accept this?!?" She cried, turning to confront him. Her anger spiraling outward towards her husband. "How can you just smile and...and-"  
  
"Turn the other cheek?" He smiled faintly; his voice was calm and gentle in the face her building rage. He held up the Rosary she had just gifted to him. "Because that is what we are commanded to do. Because that is what we have to do. It is not our place to judge them, Rachel. And, if they have sinned, it is not our place to punish them. It is God's."   
  
Rachel swallowed hard, her anger hit hard by the words of their faith. But his faith was, by far, stronger than hers. Finally, she whispered, "I don't think I can that, Kurt." She put her hand over her stomach, trying to protect her unborn child from the detestation it would have to live with all its life.   
  
He read her mind as he laid his hand over hers. "It is because of this baby that you must."  
  
She was silent for long moments, still staring down at her lap. Finally, he smiled again and cupping her cheek in his hand, he turned her face towards him. "There was a time when YOU were afraid of mutants, too. Remember?"   
  
Her face flushed with embarrassment at the memory. Finally, she sighed, laying her head against his shoulder, trying to let go of her anger. Letting his touch comfort her, she smiled, conceding the argument to him. "I remember."  
  
***  
  
Hey guys! The Donivan Enterprises Jet is not, entirely, a figment of my imagination. Go check it out! (In particular, jpeg "3topbed" and "1nose")   
  
http://www.747sp.com/cgi-bin/imageFolio.cgi?direct=Interior   
  
See that button directly below??? Let me know what do you think so far! 


	24. On the Other Side of the Pond

Sicklepod - Double "ha!" :-) - I went back and fixed that terrible little 'thru' error. Thanks!   
  
NachtcGleiskette - Now, what would make you think that things are going to be anything other than 'happily ever after' when they get to America?? :-P  
  
Sashi - Well, we know what Stryker has in mind for Kurt. (poor thing...) Keep reading and thanks!  
  
Colleen - Welcome back! Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked it!  
  
Pen Pen - I understand. You'll be here in spirit right? Mile High Club...Well, Kurt is only human.....sort of. ;-) And I completely agree with the rating idea; I was hoping I'd stay JUST this side of the rating. But, with Rachel getting "further along", if I was going to put any real 'eye candy' in here...It was now or never!! :-)  
  
Sinowa - Hey Thanks!! This is kind of a short chapter too. But it does have a few different POV's in it.   
  
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"They're scheduled to land at Kennedy Airport, sir. We should beat them there in plenty of time." The young soldier called over the noisy engines. The military B1-B Lancer was much faster than the commercial Boeing 747. With a cruising speed of nearly 900 miles per hour, it almost doubled the velocity of which the 747 was capable. However, since it had taken nearly five hours to get the clearance to take her up, Stryker was willing to put up with the inconvenience of rumbling turbines. They needed all the speed they could get.  
  
Stryker nodded, his jaw clenched. He was still irritated. Joe Donivan had been infuriatingly 'less than helpful' to them. Gammon had wanted him arrested and thrown under the jail until he talked. But Stryker thought better of that, even though this man had obviously helped the two fugitives escape. Stryker decided it would be more beneficial to just let Donivan go and have him put under surveillance. He had helped his niece once and would probably do so again. Sooner or later, Stryker was fairly certain Rachel Donivan would contact her uncle or vice versa.   
  
Stryker left the cockpit and went back into the back of the plane. After much "discussion," he had finally convinced Ben Gammon to stay behind and tie up all the 'unfinished business' that fool had left dangling. It looked like a damn ball of string in Germany, he had left so many loose ends.   
  
The failure of the Donivan research project had upset his plans more than he really wanted to admit. But Stryker had bigger problems. In the States, Senator Kelly had become a turncoat. Once the biggest backer of the Registration Act, now he openly worked against it. Stryker knew if he didn't move soon, all the support for the bill would disappear. So, he had had to move up his timetable. Finding Mutant X108, as Kurt Wagner had been tagged, was a windfall. But this woman that helped him escape was a problem. She had thrown a monkey wrench into his plans and made Ben Gammon completely unreliable. The sooner she was completely out of the picture, the better. He bore a despise for the American woman that was even more malevolent than his despise for mutants. At least, mutants could not help the disease they had been born with. And, given the right training, they could even, still hold useful functions in society. But, this woman was human and she had a choice. She had willingly chosen to betray her own people to help this infected creature. If there was one thing William Stryker could not stand, it was a traitor.   
  
He couldn't tell which side of the fence Gammon was going to take when it came to Rachel Donivan. She had made him even more unpredictable than he already was. Stryker was beginning to doubt that bringing Gammon onto his team had been a good idea. He was far too focused on the woman to see the big picture and, in the end, that could jeopardize the whole operation. He hoped Gammon didn't make the mistake of becoming a loose end himself.  
  
***********************  
  
"So, where are we going to set down?" Asked Kurt, as he settled into the co pilots seat.   
  
Rachel adjusted their heading. The plane gracefully banked so slightly, it could barely be felt. "We are scheduled to land at Kennedy Airport." She replied. She was all business now, behind the control panel of the huge flying beast.   
  
"But, we're not going to land there?" Kurt heard something in her voice that told him she had other plans.   
  
Rachel shook her head. "No." She took her headset off and turned to him. "They only have to make a phone call to know when and where we are supposed to arrive. I have a feeling we're going to have more 'bad guys' waiting on us in New York. We're headed to Miami."  
  
Kurt cocked his head, "Why Miami?"  
  
"Why not?" She shrugged. "Is there somewhere else you'd like to go?" Kurt shook his head and she chuckled. "Actually, it's just about as far away as we can get from New York on the fuel we have and still be over the water. When the time comes, you'll need teleport us off the plane. I'm going to let this bird ditch herself off the coast. If we're lucky, they'll think we died in the crash. If not, at least we'll have a head start on them."  
  
Kurt's expression became grave. "Is that your plan?"   
  
His wife shrugged. "Pretty much." She checked the altitude setting. "How far out this thing crashes just depends on how far you can safely teleport us."  
  
Kurt groaned, rubbing his face.   
  
"What?" Rachel turned towards him with a wary expression.  
  
"Do you have a plan B?" He asked hopefully  
  
Rachel got a determined look. "Yes... - Plan B is 'Make Plan A Work!'"  
  
Kurt tapped his unique hand on the armrest. "What is our speed and altitude?"  
  
Rachel glanced at the gauges. "About 35,000 feet. Just under 500 miles per hour."  
  
With a sigh, Kurt stood up, pacing around. "I've never tried, but I don't know if I can teleport ANYTHING, 35,000 feet. That's over ten and a half kilometers!"  
  
"Well, I can take us down closer, if that's the problem." She said, helpfully.  
  
"That's not the only problem, liebe." He leaned on the back of her chair, sighing heavily and staring at her over her shoulder. "You know the Law of Conservation of Energy?"*  
  
Rachel shrugged. "Sure. Energy can be transferred or transformed. But, it can't be created or destroyed."  
  
"And the law of Inertia?"  
  
Rachel knitted her eyebrows, trying to figure out where her Blue was going with this. "Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Objects in motion tend to...stay...in...." Her eyes got round as saucers as the actuality of his words hit her. "Oh, no....."  
  
"If I teleport us off this plane, at 500 miles per hour," He explained. "Physics mandate that we have to rematerialize at-"  
  
"500 miles per hour." They finished together.  
  
*********************  
  
Lumi stared at the envelope on the telephone table in the darkened house as Jemaine tried to find the light switch. She could hear the taxi pulling away, outside. She sat her suitcase down heavily. In the gloominess, she picked up the envelope address to the two of them. She already knew what it said. She knew before they ever even got in the door.  
  
The interior of the hallway came to life as Jemaine flipped a switch. She joined Lumi. "What's that?" She pointed to the letter. "I wonder where Kurt and Rachel could be? They knew we were supposed to be here today."  
  
Lumi handed Jemaine the unopened letter; it was oppressive in her hands. "They're gone."  
  
"What???" Jemaine open the letter and began reading. She sat down, heavily, on the stairs as her legs gave out from under her. "Oh, My God, no..." She read each elegantly scripted word with more and more trepidation. When she finished, she looked to Lumi to tell her that this wasn't true. "Lumi....." Tears formed in her eyes.  
  
The old woman stood lost in thought for a moment. She didn't even argue the injustice the situation. She remembered the stories her elders told about the Nazi's and how they hunted down gypsies and Jews and anyone else who was 'different.' She knew it did no good to argue the immorality of such evil. It had happened. Now, all they could do was try to help their family, as best they could.  
  
"Where would they go?" Jemaine's voice seemed lost as it floated through the empty house.  
  
"America." Lumi's eyes were far away.  
  
Jemaine finally stood up, regaining her composure. "We have to help them." She insisted.  
  
Lumi smiled, reassuringly, at her niece-by-marriage. "And, we're going to." She picked up the receiver of the hallway phone.  
  
****************************  
  
The Miami coast came into view on a splendid horizon. It would have been beautiful...if they had had a place to land in it. But, Miami International Airport had no idea they were there. Until now. Static crackled over the headset as an alarmed voice came over the airwaves.  
  
"Unidentified aircraft. You are not cleared for this airspace. State your designation and heading!"  
  
Rachel couldn't resist inserting a little humor. "Should I tell him we're lost? Made a wrong turn at Albuquerque?"  
  
Kurt chuckled to spite himself. But, this was no laughing matter. They were too low on fuel to make for another landing field and there was nowhere for them to land here. This was bad. "Well, I think you should tell him something...He seems rather....upset."  
  
Rachel sighed, "Here goes..." She adjusted the mouthpiece. "Controller, this is Niner 1301 Eagle. We are requesting an emergency landing."  
  
"Niner 1301Eagle, you are not cleared for landing." Came the impassioned voice.  
  
"Yes, that's why it's an 'emergency,' you idiot." She muttered, impatiently. Then, to the mouthpiece "Controller, we are off course and low on fuel. We have to bring her down."  
  
"Negative, Niner 1301 Eagle." He argued. "We do not have a clear runway. You can not land. I repeat, you can not land! Maintain a holding pattern till further notice!"  
  
Rachel looked at the fuel gauge and tapped it pointlessly. "Kurt....." She swallowed hard, her voice tense and nervous.  
  
"Yes?" He already knew. His hand touched his crucifix for strength. For her and for him.  
  
"I'm starting to get a little afraid of falling."  
  
********************  
  
"Well, if they're not here, Where the Hell are they??" Stryker yelled at his men. He stormed around the tower in a fury. How could he have been so naive as to think they were just going to fly right into his hands??   
  
"Sir, a 747 is too large to land at a private airfield." His second in command offered. "They are going to have to land at, at least, a moderately sized airport. And they only had enough fuel to make the transatlantic flight." Styrker nodded his head for the solider to continue. "They are going to have to set down on the Eastern Sea Board, somewhere, sir."  
  
Stryker took the cue. "Put a call out. Find out how many airports on or near the East Coast have gotten a request from a 747 to make an emergency landing."  
  
A few minutes later, the sergeant came back. "Just one, sir. Miami International Airport."  
  
Stryker threw on his coat and headed for the door. "Let's go."  
  
********************  
  
* The Law of Conservation of Energy explanation is right out of the comics....fyi....  
  
Blue button time. Please, please, please!!!! 


	25. What Goes Up

Wow, thanks for all the reviews guys! I LOVE it!!! I am starting to get so many reviews, it's getting hard to respond to them individually, but I will keep doing so until y'all tell me to stop!   
  
This is a short chapter. The next chapter is longer.. :-)   
  
Sashi - I am a fellow insomniac so I feel your pain! It is a cat and mouse game now!  
  
Blue furry elf - Got your email! Thank you SO much! You're the best! ^_^  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Thanks! You're a fantastic writer too. I've read your stuff...  
  
NightFlight - DAMN! I wish I had known you had all this GREAT knowledge when I was researching the last chapter!!! This chapter was already written and flows with the previous chapter. Soooo.....Please bear with me and forgive my ignorance of air control procedures. But...you've made the mistake of telling me you have the inside scoop on what it is like in an air control tower...Now, you've joined Blue furry elf, in my little black book! ;-) Really, if you don't mind, I would love to be able to consult with you. Would that be all right? There won't be any other scenes like that in this story, but who knows what's going to happen down the road....  
  
Ramblings - Well....what goes up - must come down.....:-P  
  
Colleen - Moral of the story? ALWAYS have a Plan B!  
  
Angelfish - Thanks! I'm so glad everyone seems to be enjoying my little story. I hope I don't disappoint anybody. But, I know this won't be everybody's cup of tea, I'm just grateful those who don't care for it haven't flamed me!...A pineapple? Hmmm...Which end are you throwing, the butt end or the spiky end? Never mind - here's the next chapter! :-)  
  
Jaqanashi - I guess the little button is blue....I am blue-green color blind too....we have something in common! tee hee!  
  
Mara the first - Thank you! And, welcome!  
  
Kat - Thanks!  
  
Boo - Sad ending? You'll just have to keep reading to find out.....  
  
Jean - Thank you!   
  
Pilotslover - You read all 24 chapters in 1/2 an hour? Wow....I'm glad you like it, even though it is a romance... ;-)  
  
Sicklepod - I never get tired of your reviews!! Thanks!! (Still working on those 'thru's' blast 'em!!)  
  
  
  
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Kurt leaned over the back of Rachel's sear and listened as she was caught in a heated debate with the air boss. Finally, she threw off her headset.  
  
"We have to land." She said simply, giving Kurt a knowing look. Then she tapped the fuel gage again. "We have to land, NOW. Whether they are ready for us or not."  
  
He could see the apprehension in her eyes. Nodding his head in understanding, he kissed her meaningfully, then touched her face for a moment, his eyes never leaving hers. He got back in his own seat, fastening the seat belt. He crossed himself in Holy reverence. Rachel did the same.   
  
'Our Father, who art in Heaven...'  
  
The huge plane made one more circle around the airfield before coming in line with a least busy strip Rachel could find. A frantic voice screamed over the headset Rachel had thrown into the floor. She lowered the throttle and declined the plane towards the earth. The 747 touched down lightly, then bounced as full contact was made with the ground.   
  
"Geheiligt werde Dein Name..."*  
  
The length of black strip flew past them too quickly. A smaller passenger plane appeared ahead of them as they raced headlong towards each other.  
  
"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done..."  
  
In desperation, the smaller plane taxied to the side of the strip trying to avoid being hit. Rachel pulled the rudders hard to the right.   
  
"wie im Himmel so auf Erden..."**  
  
They missed each other by a foot, at best. But, pulled, irreversibly off course, the 747 taxied off the runway. The landing gear was wrenched off by the uneven ground, thrusting the plane onto its belly where it grinded to a halt after a heart stopping moment.  
  
Kurt and Rachel sat motionless for a second, jerked and jarred by the rough landing.  
  
Kurt looked over at his wife. "Are you all right?" She seemed a little stunned, staring unseeing ahead of her.   
  
Rachel shook her head, shaking off crash landing and cleared her throat. "We're Here!!" She announced in a singsong voice.   
  
Then they looked at each other and started laughing with relief. But, they're elation over surviving the landing was short lived. The sound of sirens filled the air as all manner of emergency vehicles came rushing at them.   
  
And military jeeps.   
  
Rachel unbuckled herself and stood up, quickly. She sprinted out of the cockpit and returned with their suitcase, which Kurt took out of her hand.  
  
"Welcome to Miami and Thank You for flying Air Donivan." She said in her flight stewardess voice.  
  
Kurt took her securely in one arm, the suitcase in the other, as she locked her arms around him. He looked out the cock pit window decidedly, "The pleasure was all mine, liebling. Now, let's get out of here!"  
  
And, they were gone.  
  
---------------  
  
It was the strangest thing to have happen at the Miami International Airport in years. Rumors of the ghost plane circulated for months afterwards. When the emergency and military crews stormed onto the plane - it was completely abandoned. There was only smoke and the faint scent of sulfur left hanging in the air.   
  
**********************************  
  
Stryker stood in the empty airplane, one arm folded over his chest. His other hand adjusting his glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. His calm demeanor belied his unbelievable rage. These two had escaped out from under him three times in the past 24 hours.   
  
He had dealt with other bleeding hearts that had tried to oppose him in favor of mutant rights; Charles Xavier popped into his head, right off. But he had never dealt with anyone who had gotten so personally involved as Rachel Donivan. She had never been in trouble with the law prior to this, according to her record. She had no history of supporting radical left wing groups, nor any radical right wing groups, for that matter. She was the absolute last person on Earth he would have suspected of this kind of criminal behavior. She didn't fit the profile.  
  
He had ordered his intelligence officers to dig up everything there was to know on Rachel Donivan, in particular her movements and contacts over the past six months. Stryker knew she had been traveling with the Munich Circus, working as a veterinarian. And, through Ben Gammon, he knew she was close to Mutant X108. Gammon was convinced the mutant had some kind of telepathic control over his ex-fiance, but their tests had concluded the German circus performer didn't have any unusual extrasensory abilities. Maybe her interest in Kurt Wagner wasn't ALL that different from his own. She WAS a scientist, of sorts. And, this mutant was an intriguing study. Perhaps she had even struck up a friendship with it. But scientific intrigue and even, possibly, friendship, was one thing. Breaking into a research lab, kidnapping, assault, grand theft auto, theft of an airplane, evading arrest - that was something else, especially for someone who had never gotten in any trouble worse than a speeding ticket. He walked around the plane, trying to figure out what would have possessed her to take this course of action.   
  
He paced into the back of the plane and stopped short at the sight of the disarranged, tangled sheets the two escapees had left behind. Suddenly he realized it was no wonder Ben Gammon had been so incensed when he had called Stryker to set up the mutant's abduction. And why, when Mutant X108 had been in the lab, his biggest concern had been for the woman and her well being.   
  
"Well, now." He almost chuckled. Who would've thought......Maybe love was blind, after all...."Who's been sleeping in your bed, Rachel Donivan?"  
  
**************  
  
Blue furry elf - Thanks for the translations!!  
  
* - Hallowed be thy Name  
  
** - On Earth as it is in in Heaven 


	26. My Brother's Keeper

Sinowa – I figured, they were SO close to the Bermuda Triangle and all… ;-)  
  
Sashi – Thanks so much! Yes, standing from our POV, you would think that Stryker would've had a clue, but he didn't have any way of knowing. You think Ben was going to tell him? Tee hee!  
  
NachtcGleiskette – "Heir" is the one that really has my attention right now! Where is that next update??  
  
Colleen – Stryker is a very bad man…..  
  
Mara – Shakespeare – one of my authors of all time! …"The course of true love never did run smooth." Also applies to poor pair. Comas are my nemesis….  
  
Jeanne – The tie into the movie will be coming up in a couple of chapters. Thanks!  
  
Sarah – Hmmm…That would be something interesting to try. This is my first fan fic ever and my first writing attempt in a LONG time. I might give it a shot. If not here, then in a later story.   
  
Sicklepod – ha ha ha! Thanks. I figured if Kurt could get from Washington DC to Boston, unseen and injured, surely he could find his way off an airport landing field, undetected. (You are TOO funny!! :-D)  
  
  
  
**************************  
  
Rachel was dragged from her deep slumber by a gnawing hunger. She tried to ignore it, but the rumbling in her stomach persisted, accompanied by a determined, tickling kick that she had not yet become accustomed to. Finally, she pushed her pillow away and stared, confused at the generic surroundings of the motel room Kim Grant had checked into. Slowly, the events of the past few days came back to mind. They had not stopped moving since they had disappeared off the airplane in Miami. Barely stopping even long enough to catch their breath and change rental cars, in which, 'Kim' demanded to have dark, tinted windows. They kept moving till they had reached Georgia, 600 miles away. Finally, somewhat secure they were not in immediate danger, they checked into a motel, to get some much needed rest.  
  
But, Kurt refused to let them both sleep. He insisted one of them should stay awake and it should be him. Rachel had been too drained to argue. Now, he sat, perched on the back of the motel chair, watching over her. His tail swung slowly, acting as a counter balance. He noticed her beginning to stir and went to her. "How did you sleep?" He sat down on the bed beside her.  
  
"Like the dead." She groaned, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" She asked, struggling to sit up, still fully clothed.  
  
"After dark." He responded, shrugging. "You've been asleep most of the day." Helping her prop up, he ignored his own pressing fatigue. She sat there for a moment, trying to get her bearings.  
  
He offered her his hand as she finally tried to get out of bed. "You shouldn't have let me sleep this long." She chided him, gently. She slipped her feet back into her shoes.   
  
"You were exhausted." He responded, unswayed.   
  
"So are you." She countered. However, she stumbled against him, proving his point more than her own.  
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Rachel's blood ran cold as she instinctively clutched Kurt's hand tighter.  
  
"Kurt! Rachel! Open the door!" Came an insistent, vaguely accented, voice from the other side of the door. That voice seemed familiar, somehow.  
  
They stared at each other in open shock. They doubted it was Stryker's men. Why would they knock...unless it was a trick? Kurt cautiously went to the window and peeked through the slit in the curtains. A great smile crept onto his face. He unchained the door. "I don't believe it!" He breathed, opening the door.   
  
Before Rachel could stop him, Kurt unlocked the door and dragged in the stranger. He wrapped him in a huge hug. Rachel backed away from the scene, startled. Then, she studied the handsome, swarthy man more carefully. Her eyes went wide with recognition.  
  
"Stephan!!" She cried, running up to him. Stephan let go of Kurt long enough to grab her up and swing her around. "How did you- Where did- What are you-" She had so many questions, she couldn't get them all out.  
  
Stephan answered them all with one word. "Lumi."  
  
Kurt and Rachel stared at each other. Kurt shook his head. "You know, I am very glad the Frau is on our side."  
  
"That old woman scares me silly." Rachel agreed.  
  
**************************  
  
Half an hour later, over fast food, Stephan related the phone call he had gotten from Lumi and his sister, Jemaine, a few days before. She had not known their precise location, but gave him enough information that he was able to use his contacts to track them to this hotel room.   
  
"You two are hard to snag! I've been trying to catch up to you since Miami!" He chuckled. Then, he reflected a moment. "You know, I never thought there'd come a time when I'd be helping YOU out of trouble!" Stephan grinned at Kurt, who shrugged in response. He changed the subject. "Why didn't I get an invitation to the wedding?" He chided.  
  
"You did." His blue furred, foster brother replied. "It came back, 'Resident Unknown - Return to Sender."  
  
Stephan laughed a deep, strong laugh. "I do move around a lot." He winked at Rachel. "Must be the Gypsy in me!" He reclined back in the chair and slapped Kurt good naturedly on the back. "Kurt, you did good! I think, you married the most beautiful gypsy in the world!"   
  
Rachel blushed under her golden skin, despite herself. When she was a child, she had had a crush on Stephan, the handsome, dark haired teenager that had always, good-naturedly, indulged her infatuation.  
  
"So, where are the two of you headed?" He asked, sipping another drink out of his Styrofoam cup.  
  
Kurt shook his head. Rachel shrugged. "I do not think we've thought that far ahead." He answered. "Our flight from Germany was....somewhat spur-of-the-moment."  
  
"Well, then travel with me in my little caravan for a while." Stephan interceded, before Kurt could say anything further. It was more of an instruction, than an offer. "We are very good at staying out of sight."   
  
Kurt bit back his irritation. He should be grateful that his brother had risked his life coming here to help them. But, he had always done this, even when Kurt was a child. He would step in a situation and take over, whether he was asked to or not. And, Kurt refused to admit it, but he was just the tiniest bit jealous of the way he looked at Rachel. Of course, Stephan looked at every woman that way, but Rachel wasn't just any woman. She was his wife. He was starting to remember just how crazy Stephan used to drive him.  
  
"I don't know, Stephan." Kurt shook his head. "The men who are after us are dangerous. I don't want to endanger you or your friends."  
  
Stephan laughed. "Danger-Smanger!" He held his arms open. "We're family!"   
  
"Kurt and I need to talk about this, Stephan." Rachel stopped him, picking up on Kurt's disquiet. She stifled a yawn. "Can we take this up in the morning?"   
  
"Sure." He conceded to her. "I'm staying in room 204. My group is camped out here and there. If they see anything unusual, they'll let us know. Call me if anything comes up." He stood up and clasped Kurt into a brotherly hug. Then pulled Rachel into an embrace, putting his hand, uninvited, on her belly, hoping to feel a little kick. Rachel kindly, but sternly, removed his hand, as she hugged him back. She didn't want to be touched, without permission, ever again.   
  
Kurt slipped an arm around her as they bid Stephan good night and shut the door. She could feel the slight tension emanating from him.  
  
"Well...he hasn't changed." Kurt mused, putting the chain back on the door.  
  
"We do need his help." Rachel admitted quietly, staring at the multi colored carpet. "We can only run, helter-skelter, for so long."  
  
Kurt nodded but did not answer. "Why don't you get some more sleep? You need it." He offered, kindly, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face.  
  
Rachel shook her head. "No, you need it more than me."  
  
Finally, they agreed, with Stephan and his friends keeping a look out, maybe it was safe enough for both of them to try and get some sleep. Kurt pulled off his shirt and pants and turned down the covers on the bed. Rachel shrugged off her own clothes and pulled on her trusty, shapeless nightshirt and climbed in bed beside him. She reached over and turned out the lamp beside the bed. He held out his arm and she laid her head in the hollow of his shoulder in a practiced move.   
  
He chuckled as she yawned again, settling in beside him. "Why ARE you so sleepy, anyway? You've been asleep all day." He teased, knowing very well why she was so worn out.  
  
The acrobat was rewarded for that with a playful jab in the ribs. "It's not my fault." Rachel defended herself. "It's his!" She pointed to the baby. Who, she swore, was currently turning somersaults.  
  
"His?" Kurt smiled, thoughtfully. "So, you think it will be a boy?" He reached out and laid his hand against her, feeling the slight movement.  
  
"Absolutely." Rachel nodded her head, smiling mischievously in the dark, listening to him walk in, up to his furry blue neck.  
  
"What makes you think so?"  
  
Rachel raised her head to look into his glowing eyes. "Because it's keeping me awake! If it were a girl, it would settle down and let me go to sleep!!"  
  
Kurt laughed, but took the cue and curled his arm around her shoulder. However, after a few minutes the question loomed in the air heavily. Neither of them could ignore it.  
  
"This is your home, liebe. Where SHOULD we go from here? We can't keep running forever." Kurt asked her in the darkness.  
  
Rachel thought about the slightly worn business card in her purse. "I think, I know of one place."  
  
"Where?" Kurt sounded a million miles from drowsy.   
  
Rachel sat up and turned back on the lamp. Leaning over to the floor she came up with her purse and dug through it for a moment. She handed Kurt the business card.   
  
Kurt sat up and grappled with the words. While he could speak English almost fluently, he was not well practiced reading it. "A school?"  
  
Rachel nodded. "A school for 'children who are 'different.'" She tried to say 'different' in the least offensive way possible. "...for mutants." She finally admitted.   
  
Kurt looked at the card, darkly. "What kind of school?" He didn't want his child growing up in some kind of research facility. He had already experienced enough of that.  
  
She took the card back and studied it. "I really don't know anything about the school. But the head master there is a mutant rights advocate. Professor Charles Xavier. I think the baby would be safe there." She smiled slightly, remember the kind, distinguished man in a wheelchair.  
  
"The man who met with you in Geneva?" He asked, head cocked to one side, remembering her conversation with Joe in the pilot's lounge in Cuxhaven.  
  
Rachel nodded. "Yes, I think he could help us, if anyone can." She leaned back against the headboard.  
  
But Kurt was not convinced. "And are we just supposed to ship the baby off??" Kurt shook his head. "I will not leave my child in the hands of strangers to rear." He folded his arms over his chest in an air of detest.   
  
"Do you think I would even suggest that??" Tears sprang up in Rachel's wide eyes. Every since seeing that tiny little hand, she had been in love with this child. Enough so, that she had given up her entire life and everything she had ever known, forever, just to keep it. It was a slap in the face that he would insinuate she would be willing to abandon it or send it away, for any reason.  
  
"No!" He answered quickly, regretting his quarrelsome retort. "It's just..." He reasoned, more calmly. "I don't know of any school that allows the parents stay on campus with the students....And I don't want the two of us separated from him....or her." He thought for a few seconds. If they took in an infant, they would HAVE to, at least, allow the mother to stay as well. "Maybe you and the baby could go there and I-"  
  
"You could what, Blue boy?" She cut him off, staring him in the eye, reading his mind. She held up her left hand. Her wedding ring glittered in the lamplight. "Till death do us part, sweetheart. So, unless you're going to kill me. You're stuck with me!" She gave him a small smile. "Where you go - we go."   
  
But, he looked at her with horrified expression. "Rachel! Don't even joke about something like that!" He reprimanded. "I would never harm you."  
  
Rachel shook her head, taken back. "I know, Blue." She cupped his cheek in her hand. "I was only joking." His intensity took her off guard.  
  
Kurt took her hand and kissed her palm, but was only swayed a little. "Still, joke about something else." His vow to her uncle rang in his head.   
  
Rachel took the admonishment with a grain of salt. "All right." Then she took a deep breath. "I don't think this is just ANY school, Kurt. How about we just go there and see what this place is like? If we don't like what we see, we'll leave."   
  
Kurt relaxed a little, letting her hand go. "Maybe we are over reacting. You are human. Isn't there at least a chance this child is human, as well?"   
  
Rachel looked away, her own thoughts taking her back to Cuxhaven.   
  
Schatz.... Do not keep secrets from me..  
  
She shut her eyes against the memory of his words. She held her purse tightly; afraid he would somehow see the ultrasounds she had hidden there. She knew she should have burned them. In fact, she had stood, more than once, beside the fireplace in the chalet bedroom, with the pictures in hand, trying to do just that. But she just couldn't bring herself to destroy them. They were too precious to her.   
  
Yes, theoretically, she supposed a child with one human parent and one mutant parent might be born human. But she knew that was not the case with this child. Now, she was confronted with a terrible choice. She had to either lie to Kurt that she wasn't sure of the baby's genetic make up. Or, she had to confess to him that she had contemplated an abortion. MORE than contemplated it. Which was bad enough, just in itself. But add Catholic doctrine to the matter....Lie to him or confess her transgression. She didn't know which one would hurt more. Or WHO it would hurt more.  
  
An oppressive silence seized the room. Kurt tilted his head, listening to it. "Rachel?" He questioned.  
  
She decided she would be easier to live with a lie that protected them, than a truth that would only cause both of them more unhappiness. She sat the purse back down beside the bed and gave him a weak, tired smile. "I suppose anything's possible." She lied, with the best of intentions.  
  
He nodded and smiled back. After they turned the light back off and settled down for the night, Kurt fell asleep almost instantly. Rachel laid away for a long time remembering that the road to hell was paved with good intentions.  
  
******************************************* 


	27. Hiding

Angelfish - Yes, it is getting intense! Will Stryker catch up this them? Well, he did in the movie...  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Foreshadowing? We always hurt the ones we love the most...  
  
Sashi - I've been going thru Hell with that virus that struck a few days ago. But my computer is back up and running now!  
  
Colleen - Thanks! The only problem with a lie is that it tends to get heavier the longer you carry it...  
  
2_la_z & snap - Glad y'all are having fun reading this. I'm having a blast writing it for you!  
  
Mara - Isn't a half-truth just as bad as a lie? Just hafta keep reading, to find out how/if she comes clean. :-)  
  
Icegirl-Kat - Thanks!! I try to up date as often as possible.   
  
Sicklepod - Well, it will be a boy or a girl. Probably, only Lumi knows for sure! ;-)  
  
Nightflight - There are twists o'plenty coming up. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep you guessing!  
  
Jerzy Devil - Thanks for the compliment! ^_^  
  
Sinowa - I can't wait for you to see what's going to happen too!  
  
Pilotslover - I'll say you can read fast! Faster than me! :-)  
  
***************************  
  
It was still dark outside when the sleeping couple were woke up by Stephan banging of their door so hard, it shook the entire door frame.  
  
Kurt bamfed to the door in a panic. "What is it?!" He cried, opening the door.  
  
"We got to roll, brother!" He breathed, hastily, pushing through the door before it even was all the way open. "I think you've been made."  
  
Rachel threw aside her modesty as she jumped out of bed in her short nightshirt. Hastily, she shoved their few belongings in their bag.  
  
"Wow..." Stephan stopped, staring at her long golden legs, entirely distracted.  
  
With an irritated glare, Kurt roughly elbowed his brother. "Watch it....brother or not." He warned.  
  
For, maybe, the first time in Kurt's life, Stephan actually looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry....It's just...and-" He motioned to Rachel, who joined Kurt in glaring at him. "Wow...." Was all he could say.  
  
"Do I have time to change or do you want to ogle some more?" Rachel bit at him, grabbing her clothes.  
  
That snapped him back to reality. "Hurry." He said tensely, peaking out of the window. "There are unmarked military vehicles headed this way. They'll be here soon."  
  
They left their rental car in the parking lot and didn't even give a second thought to turning in the motel key, as they quickly loaded into Stephan's van. Kurt's long black trench coat and hat obscured his appearance from curious eyes.   
  
"Do I even want to know how you are able recognize 'unmarked military vehicles'"? Kurt asked as he settled into the worn captain's chair beside Stephan, who was at the wheel. Rachel sat tensely in the back, brushing her long dark hair, mostly to calm herself.  
  
"They've had all their chrome removed. They all have DC Government plates." Stephan gave a sly smile. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist..." That was all he would say about the matter, as they pulled out onto the interstate.  
  
"We talked about it last night." Kurt leaned back and glanced at Rachel, who nodded. "We need to get to New York."  
  
Stephan nodded. "My group is headed through there in a month or so."   
  
As they made their way east, towards the faint gray light of dawn, Rachel began to notice they were not alone. About six or seven other vehicles, mostly vans and SUV's joined them in a loose caravan type set up. "I was hoping we could get there a little faster than that." She prodded. The sooner she knew whether or not this school was going to be an option, the better.  
  
"Why? What's in New York."  
  
"There is a school there; run by a mutant's rights activist who may can help us." Rachel replied.  
  
Stephan looked at his brother, then at his brother's wife, in the rearview mirror. "So, your just going to go there....wanted fugitives? With Stryker and Gammon hot on our heels?" He gave them a moment to think about that before continuing. "Take it from a pro, guys. You need to loose these fellows before you decide anything else."  
  
"And you think you can do this?" Kurt spoke up.   
  
"It's what I do!" His brother replied, almost proudly. "I will get you where you need to be. And, I'll get these fellows off your back. I promise."  
  
Rachel didn't reply. Instead, she curled her long legs into her seat and laid her head against the headrest, pretending to try to go back to sleep. She could hear the two brothers talking softly, seeking to keep from disturbing her. She suddenly wished she could go home. Home to Atlanta. Home to the large, lavish antebellum estate that had been her sanctuary all her life. She was barely more than three hours from it, but she might as well be on the moon. She knew she was feeling sorry for herself, but she allowed herself a few moments of silent self-pity. She finally dozed off, remembering her mother fondly walking with her young daughter, hand in hand, through the gardens on her childhood home. She could still hear her light, gentle voice all around her.  
  
"Everything will be all right, little one."  
  
The sun had just barely risen above the flat red ground of South Georgia, as the obscure gypsy caravan sailed past the disguised military convoy unseen and unknown. Kurt and Rachel Wagner simply vanished into thin air with it.  
  
  
  
***********************  
  
Stryker sat at his desk, shuffling endless papers. For three weeks they had been looking for this mutant. He was starting to loose his patience. He didn't even glance up when his sergeant came in the door.   
  
"Sir."   
  
"What is it?" Was the uninterested, irritable reply.  
  
The young man laid down yet another stack of papers on Styker's already busy desktop. "I think you're going to want to see this."  
  
Taking off his glasses, the older man rubbed his eyes. He glanced at the papers, then dragged them towards him, putting his glasses back on. "What do I want to see?"  
  
"This is the report you ordered on Rachel Donivan. Or, actually, Rachel Wagner." The sergeant stopped, waiting knowingly.  
  
"Wagner?" Stryker was hooked. "What have you found out?"  
  
The younger man relaxed his stance a little. "It appears they were married sometime in November. But that isn't the REALLY interesting part."  
  
Stryker could feel something big in the air around them. He motioned for him to continue.  
  
"In October, while at the Donivan Enterprises Conference, she went to a 'planned pregnancy' clinic for an abortion."  
  
Smirking, Stryker sat back. "That's not very Catholic of her..."  
  
"Only," He prolonged. "According to the receptionist, she changed her mind at the last minute and backed out." He had Stryker's total attention.  
  
"Let me understand what you are saying..." Stryker wanted to make sure he wasn't making a mountain out of a molehill. "You're saying that Rachel Doniv - Rachel Wagner....is PREGNANT?" He pronounced the word distinctly and intensely.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
"And the father?" He barely realized he was holding his breath.  
  
The younger man shrugged. "She didn't list the father's name on the paperwork, but the receptionist distinctly remembers that the ultrasounds showed signs of genetic mutation. A tail, to be exact."   
  
Stryker sat back and grinned wickedly. This was incredible. A chance to study prenatal mutants was unheard of, since the mutant gene rarely activated before childhood or adolescence. He turned his attention back to the sergeant standing across from him. "My order to kill this woman..."  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
He stood up from his chair and leaned over his desk. "Delay that order. I want both of them, the mutant AND the woman, alive and unharmed."  
  
He dismissed the bearer of glad tidings and returned to his papers with renewed spirit. Now, all he had to do was find them. He had used every tool at his disposal and turned up nothing. Maybe he should try a new tactic. He picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"Ben!" He said, jovially.   
  
"You've found her??" Ben's voice was hopeful across the transatlantic line.  
  
"No." Was the overly blunt reply. "I think it is time we take a different approach..."  
  
  
  
*************************************  
  
For the next few weeks, the two fugitives hid in Stephan's modern day gypsy caravan. They moved, invisibly, from place to place. There was an entire American subculture of modern day nomads that Rachel would have never dreamed existed. They set up in abandoned buildings and in safe houses they, and other groups, had established. But, it bothered Rachel just how Stephan's people financed themselves. They did not seem to openly barter or trade, yet they always seemed to have money and supplies about. She did not speak her concerns to Kurt. It was his brother who led this band. But, she suspected Kurt wondered as much, too.  
  
The late January air was bitter cold as they shut the door of the "abandoned" house in Boston's infamous, Bay Village. A multi colored carpet of sleeping bags littered the floors. The windows were all blacked out. But, they had all the comforts of home here, more or less. The electricity had been jerry rigged from the street and the water had been turned back on at the water main. By the time the electric power board or water company noticed the usage, they'd be gone.   
  
Laughter could be heard coming from upstairs somewhere. Rachel turned to the woman in her company. Keja was, maybe a year or so younger than her, with wild green eyes and short, fire red hair. Despite all her misgivings about this band of free spirits they had fallen in with, it was good to have another woman to talk to. But, it made her miss Jemaine and Lumi even more. She wondered ideally how they were. She didn't dare contact them, afraid that they'd be discovered.  
  
She reached down to her rounded belly and soothed a playful little kick under her coat. At the end of her fifth month, it was starting to become undeniable that she was pregnant. But, now well into her second trimester, she could not complain. Overall, she was having an ideal pregnancy, especially under the circumstances. Even in vanity's eyes, she had to smile. The only indication that she was expecting was her stomach, which was becoming more and more taunt and round. The rest of her remained as tall and slim as the first day she had learned she was pregnant. She had aches and pains in her legs and lower back, but nothing that wasn't to be expected. Kurt massaged her sore muscles in an almost nightly ritual. He would have bore the discomfort for her if he could have.   
  
She had not told him about her consultation with the pregnancy clinic in Geneva. And, her mind was becoming more and more troubled by it. She supposed the weight of her guilt had always been there, but she hadn't felt it till she was forced to confront it, and chose to lie about it. She glanced up to see her Blue, in a corner, high in the rafters of the cathedral style ceiling, curled up. His tail was absently coiled around the beam as he read a New American Catholic Bible, brushing up on his reading skills. She had picked it up for him at a used bookstore. She couldn't help but smile at his determined expression. She had given up of being able to learn to German after a few months. But Kurt seemed to feel that he HAD to learn read English, as well as he could speak it. Her smile faded a little. It was because, although neither had admitted it, they both knew he was never going back to Germany. No more than she was ever going back to Atlanta. She momentarily wondered if this nightmare was ever going to be over.  
  
There had been some intense 'hesitation' among most of Stephan's caravan when they first saw the blue furred, demonic looking mutant. And even some animosity towards her. If he was a beng, a devil, and she carried his child, then that made her as evil as him. But Stephan, true to his outgoing, winning nature had managed to convince most all that his brother was the least harmful creature on Earth. Those who weren't convinced, at least, knew they were out numbered.  
  
"Are you even listening to me?" Keja scolded. Her hands going to her slim hips, hidden under her bulky coat, in admonishment, shaking a lock of red hair out of her eyes.  
  
Rachel blushed. "I'm sorry Keja. I was lost in thought."   
  
"I was asking what is Kurt like." She implored, again. Her eyes sparkling with mischief.  
  
Rachel smiled again, pulled out of her melancholy. "He is...." She spread her hands in an all-encompassing motion, "perfect." She waved to him as he looked down. He gave her a great smile and climbed down the wall to her, his dexterous limbs clinging to the wall. Rachel hated it when he did that; it reminded her of a spider - she hated spiders. But, teleporting frightened too many of the caravan members.  
  
"Perfect?"  
  
Rachel's smile dampened. "More perfect than I deserve."  
  
Before Keja could question Rachel's cryptic musing, Kurt made his way over to them. He caught Rachel up in a great gentle hug. "Guten Tag, schatz." He nuzzled her neck, lovingly. "You're freezing! Come in and warm up!" He insisted, clasping her frigid hands. "You too, Keja." The threesome gathered by the kerosene heaters. Rachel and Keja took off their coats. He brought up chairs for the two women. Gratefully, they sat down.   
  
"I was beginning to get worried." He reprimanded them mildly, crouching by Rachel's chair, as she fondly ran her fingers through his blue-black hair. "It is starting to get dark." No one in the group was advised to go out in this part of town alone and, absolutely, not to be out after dark.   
  
Stephan came over and sat with them, before they could retort to his admonishment. "So how is our resident hot head?" He teased Keja. The two of them were something of an "on again - off again" item.   
  
"As good as always!" Keja answered, grinning and giving him a knowing wink.  
  
Stephan acted as though he didn't notice. "And our mother-to-be?"   
  
"I'm fine." She smiled. "Thank you."  
  
He held his hand out to her. "May I?" Rachel nodded, glad that he was a quick learner. It had only taken that one time in the hotel room for him to learn to ask permission. He laid his hand on her, feeling for a kick, but was disappointed. "Ah well!" He shook his finger at the stubborn fetus. "Next time!"  
  
"Kurt, why don't we leave the ladies to warm themselves." He invited Kurt away from them.  
  
Kurt looked questioningly at his wife.   
  
"Go on." She smiled, offering him a kiss. He kissed her quickly, but soundly, then walked away with his brother, tail swishing behind them.  
  
*****************  
  
Stephan stopped when they got to the kitchen. After they were out of earshot, he checked to make sure they were alone. A small television babbled quietly on the table. "Kurt, how is Rachel doing?." He said in a low tone, studying the worn, battered counter top that was probably top of the line in the early '80's.  
  
Kurt hopped up on the counter with barely a thought. "I think all this traveling is starting to wear her out." He frowned. Several times he had woke her up from nightmares and her mind always seemed preoccupied with some troubled thought she refused to share with him. He had no way of knowing that it was her guilty conscience, becoming heavier and heavier. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Stephan sighed and leaned his hip against the counter. "Lumi called me yesterday." He rubbed his hand over his mouth, giving himself a moment to collect his thoughts. "She's had one of her dreams."  
  
"What has she seen??" Kurt could feel his heart pounding.   
  
His older brother bit his bottom lip. "She's seen more than she would tell me, I know that much. But all she would say is that in her dream, Rachel was drowning and...." He stopped, unsure whether or not to finish.  
  
"Drowning?" Kurt shrugged wildly. That didn't make any sense. Rachel was an excellent swimmer. Better than him or Jemaine, or even Stephan. Then, he eyed Stephan carefully. "...and?" He prompted.  
  
"And...." He finally took a deep breath. "You were the one...holding her under." They stared at each other for a moment. Lumi's predictions were almost never wrong, but it was insane that he would do anything to harm her. Stephan continued after a moment. "Kurt, I don't think you were literally drowning her..." He stopped again. There was more....  
  
"What else?" Kurt braced himself for the worse, gripping the edge of the counter with his tri fingered hands..  
  
"It was just a dream, Kurt. I mean, what she saw could be interpreted a thousand different ways. Lumi even said so herself." Stephan delayed.  
  
"What else?" Kurt asked again, more forcefully.  
  
Stephan took another deep breath. "In Lumi's dream...." He hesitated till his younger brother narrowed his eyes, mentally willing his to continue. "Rachel died, Kurt." He finished so softly, he could barely be heard. "And the baby, too."  
  
The two brothers stared at each other. Kurt slipped off the counter and melted down into the floor, sitting on the tired, worn linoleum, his tail limp beside him. His knees supported his elbows as he put his head in his hands. Stephan sat next to him and laid a comforting hand on Kurt's shoulder.   
  
"It's just a dream." Stephan said, trying to give solace to his brother who had suffered so much in his life already.  
  
Kurt shook his head, his heart barely beating. 'No. It's not a dream." He whispered. "It's a prophecy." 


	28. Confession

Sinowa - We'll know soon enough if you're on the right track...

NachtcGleiskette - Am I that predictable?? :-P

Sashi - Sorry it took a few days. Had to make sure this chapter was going to flow without any continuity errors later on...Thanks a bunch though!!

Colleen - Stryker very bad man...'course that would be why he's the villain...you've fretted...now come back and read! :-)

frizzy hair - more it is!

Jaganashi - Step away from the cotton candy...and, just remember - just because you are paranoid does NOT mean that AREN'T out to get you...

Ivy - Welcome. I don't think I've seen you review before. Thanks!

Dr Barb - Thank you! Since this is a movie fic, there are some parts of the story that are unavoidable. But you will have to keep reading to find out which parts. I will definitely put you in my little 'black book' of info contacts! I tried to be as accurate (as someone without children) could be, about being pregnant. My friends are probably tired of answering questions and the downtown librarian is probably wondering what I am up to...

Beryl - I always assumed that that was his height, crouched over - but, when he stood up straight, he'd be taller. Maybe I was wrong. If so, I am glad you are willing to indulge a little inaccuracy. Tee hee!! :-)

Icegirl-Kat - It will be very sad if she dies...that's all I can say...Everything I ever read says, yes, normally the mutant gene 'kicks in' in puberty. But, since Kurt was born, looking the way he does, it seems only logical that he was born with the X gene already activated. But, I hope for Margali's sake, he didn't start teleporting till adolescence. You think it is hard to keep up with babies when they start CRAWLING... :-D

I know I have said this before, but I will say it again. It is not my intent to spout pro-life or pro-choice propaganda in this story. This is how the characters in this story felt. Everyone is free to make their own choices...(I'll put away my soap box now...) :-)

"You don't know that." Stephan argued. He got a determined look. "That's the problem with prophecies and fortune telling. You can't tell what it all means till it's right on you. Then, it's usually not at all what you thought. And, it's too late to do anything about it, regardless!"

He stood up and held his hand out to help his foster brother up. "I don't know what's Lumi's dream meant - if it meant anything at all. Personally, I like to think that we are all the captains of our own destinies. But, right now, you've got a wife and baby to take care of...Who are very much alive and well, I might add. And, I doubt you can take care of them from the kitchen floor!"

Kurt stared at the offered hand and nothing else. He was shaken to his core. But, Stephan's words started to penetrate his heart. He was right. The blue furred mutant decided to take the dream as a warning, not an unchangeable future. He grabbed Stephan's hand and hauled himself off the floor. But, he did touch his crucifix with his free hand for strength and reassurance. He would stand his faith against Lumi's divining.

"Now!" Stephan slapped his shoulder. "That's the Kurt I remember!"

They were heading back into the living room when the television caught their attention.

"Aw, shit!" Stephan swore as he turned up the volume slightly. Rachel's image was there, big as life, on CNN with the words "MISSING" printed in big red letters underneath. He turned to Kurt, "You might want to go get Rachel..."

After the two men had left them, Keja drew her chair closer to Rachel's. The room was almost completely empty, save a few people who were taking catnaps.

"No," She insisted quietly, watching the pair walk away. Going back to her previous question. "What's he...you know...LIKE?..." She gestured with her hands, suggestively.

Rachel knitted her eyebrows in confusion, then turned crimson as the question clarified itself. "Oh!" She couldn't help but giggle. That was a question she had never been asked. She shook her head modestly.

"Oh, come on! Tell me!" There was something about her demeanor that reminded her so much of Jemaine.

"He's a man, Keja." Rachel shrugged. "Nothing more..." A smile crept onto her face. "Certainly, nothing less." Her smile became a self-indulgent grin as she looked in the direction he had left in. "I will say, being an acrobat, he's very..." She searched for the right word, "...limber." It was a fact the two were taking full advantage of as Rachel's pregnancy progressed. They had to get more creative as being intimate became more challenging.

Keja was intrigued. "Limber??"

Rachel turned a thought-provoking smile on her friend. She blushed even deeper and changed the subject. The two chatted until they were summoned urgently into the kitchen.

"Rachel, schatz!" Kurt called from the kitchen. "Would you come in here please!" His voice demanded she go now. Immediately the two women made for the adjoining room.

Rachel shrugged her hands, "What is it, Blue?"

Kurt pointed to the TV as Stephan turned it up, slightly. Rachel saw her own image on the screen. She recognized the photo as her engagement photo that had been printed in the papers. The woman smiling in that photo was so naive and innocent. She bore little resemblance to her current self. Rachel wondered if that was good or bad. She backed up against Kurt for support, who put comforting, protective arms around her.

"-daughter of the late, business tycoon, Daniel Donivan. She was last seen leaving the Donivan Research Facility in Munich, Germany on December 21st. Authorities currently believe Ms. Donivan may have been kidnapped by a mutant terrorist organization. But, as of right now, there have been no ransom demands." The reporter shuffled her papers as the film crew changed camera angles. "Ben Gammon, the fiancé of Rachel Donivan, had this to say."

A teary, Ben Gammon stood behind a myriad of microphones, in a press conference. "Yes, I believe Rachel is still alive." He said, in answer a question spoken before the camera started rolling.

Several reporters started vying for the chance to ask the next question, but the public relations people wrangled them to silence as Ben cleared his throat, to speak again.

"I just want to take this moment to say that, Rachel, if you can hear this, we are not going to stop looking for you. We are going to find you and bring you home." He stopped for a moment, almost loosing his composure.

"I am going to kill that little son of a bitch." Rachel hissed, as Ben blinked his eyes several times, holding back tears.

"Mr. Gammon!" Cried numerous reporters. They were not given a chance to delve any further into his misery as PR reps herded the now, distraught man away from the podium and out a side door.

The TV switched back to the newsroom and the perfect looking anchorwoman, her face a mask of concern and professionalism. "There is a reward being offered for anyone who can provide information leading to the return of Rachel Donivan - "

"Turn it off." Rachel demanded, clenching her fists, angrily.

Keja reached over the silenced the TV and the four stood staring at each other. Rachel turned and wrapped her arms around Kurt, who held her even tighter.

"You're THAT Rachel Donivan?" Stephan asked, in amazement.

Rachel turned her eyes towards him. "No. I WAS that Rachel Donivan."

"Well, now, every Tom, Dick, and Harry, that watches CNN is going to recognize you..." Keja groaned.

Stephan gave an irritable sigh. "Ok. You stay out of sight till this cools down."

"How long will that be?" Rachel got claustrophobic at the thought of not being able to go outside.

He gave her a sardonic smile. "As long as it takes..."

The house was silent and dark as sleeping masses lay still in their make shift beds. Kurt and Rachel took up residence in one of the small spare bedrooms. Thanks to Kurt's glowing yellow eyes, they had the room all to themselves. It was just too disconcerting for the others. But, that suited them fine. It was the only time they were alone.

Rachel tossed and turned in her sleep. It was a nightly pattern Kurt was becoming all too familiar with. He wasn't sure how long she had been like that when she, unknowingly, woke him up. First, he attempted to calm her with soothing words. Then, he tried to hold her as she began thrashing about, but she only struggled harder. Finally, she starting talking in her sleep, desperate words that didn't make any coherent sense. With a surge of terrified panic, she cried out and bolted straight up. Shaking and gasping for breath, her sweat soaked hair plastered to her shoulders and back.

"Shh...It's all right, schatz." He consoled her, as he did almost every night now, holding her whispering against her temple. Rachel seemed to sense his presence more than physical feel it as she held onto him, frantically. This was the worst night yet.

After what felt like an eternity in that tiny dark room, Rachel calmed down. She pulled away from him and laid back down, facing away from Kurt's lustrous eyes. She couldn't stand to look at him. She could barely stand her own reflection anymore. Her guilt was consuming her.

"Rachel." Kurt gently shook her shoulder. She tried to ignore him at first, but he wasn't going to be denied. Slowly, she sat back up. She knew he could see in the dark. She wondered if he could see into her soul with those eyes.

"What is going on?" He wasn't going to let either of them go another day without that question being answered. "Please, tell me about these nightmares." He turned away for a moment and lit a small lantern for her to see by. It was less harsh than turning on the overhead light. "Let me help you."

Rachel turned her head towards him, haltingly. Her eyes lowered. She didn't want him to see the shame in her eyes. "Blue-" She stopped. Her heart was beating violently, as tears welled up in her eyes. She had to tell him. She was going to go out of her mind if she didn't. But she wondered, if confession was supposed to be good for the soul, why did she feel like her heart was being ripped out?

"What is wrong, liebe?" He whispered. "Please, tell me." He reached out to touch her cheek.

The words were in her throat, but refused to go any further. They choked her with brutal condemnation. She couldn't breathe. Lightheadedness caused her vision to swim. She shook her head. She just couldn't say it. There was no reason he should have ever known.

'What happens the next time I don't live up to his expectations?'

In the dim light, he stared at her with such love and concern. She was unworthy of that adoration. She shied away from his hand as he tried to sooth her cheek.

"The baby is a mutant." She said, almost inaudibly, her eyes staring away from him.

'So this was what was causing her nightmares.' Kurt thought with regret. Was she having nightmares about giving birth to a mutant...like him? While that thought stabbed him through the heart, he couldn't blamed her. Hadn't HE prayed that the baby would be born human? Perhaps a few nightmares were to be expected. "Is that why you've been having bad dreams?" He asked, quietly.

Rachel shook her head. She had come to terms with that months ago.

"Then, what is wrong?" He pushed a lock of damp hair away from her face. "What are you afraid to tell me??"

Like an offender being made to provide the evidence of her own guilt, she reached over into her purse and pulled out the ultrasounds. Without a word, she handed them to him.

Kurt studied them, turning them on all sides, unable to make heads or tails of them - literally. He held them to her, silently asking for her to make sense of the blurred images.

Hesitantly, she took them back and held them up in the dim light. "There's a hand. And a leg. Its head." She pointed out each feature. Then, at last, "A tail..." Her voice quivered.

Kurt took the images back and stared at them. This was his child - tail and all. A smile touched his lips, then a question.

"Where did you get these?"

Rachel's lips moved, but no sound would come out. Tears finally flowed down her cheeks. She shook her head, hoping somehow that he would unspeak that question.

"Rachel??" He was dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry..." Was all she able to manage. She couldn't look at him.

"It's all right." His consoled her gently, taking her in his arms and stroking her hair. He couldn't stand to see her in so much anguish. "Please, tell me what's wrong."

She took a deep breath and grit her teeth. "The ultrasounds were taken when I was in Geneva." She managed to squeeze out of her constricted throat.

Kurt released her and nodded for her to continue.

"The doctor...I mean, the office..." She took a stifling breath and wiped her tears away. There was no turning back now. "I went to an abortion clinic, Kurt."

There. It was done.

Were it not for his dark blue fur, he would have been as white as a sheet. His gold eyes were wide with shocked disquiet. "Rachel..." He felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. "Why??"

Rachel looked to him, her face a canvas of conflicting emotions. "I don't know...I was scared and alone." She admitted through her tears. "I guess I just thought it would be the best thing...and - " She stopped short, breaking down into sobs as she remembered laying on the exam table in an ineffectual blue paper gown. She buried her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry..." Was all she could manage, choking on each word.

For a few seconds, Kurt seemed out of touch with everything around him. It slowly dawned on him what Lumi had been so afraid of, while Rachel had been in Geneva. He wondered just how close he had come to losing this child, without ever knowing it. Then he was brought back to reality as he felt Rachel steal away from him and the warmth of their blankets.

She settled in a darken corner of the small room with her back to a wall, her legs tucked under her and her face still hidden in her hands. This was the end of everything. She felt what little she had left of her world falling apart.

"Rachel..."

She heard her name but wouldn't look up. She just stayed perfectly still, hoping he'd be content to be enraged and curse her from other there.

"Rachel, come back to bed. It's freezing. You'll catch cold." The voice was far softer than she had anticipated. And the words far more gentle than she would have hoped. Hesitantly, she looked up from her trembling hands. Kurt sat up with the covers pulled aside for her. There was sadness, but no hatred, in his eyes. Still, she had enough denunciation for both of them. Any second he was going to understand the depth of her wrong doing. She shook her head, hugging herself tightly, against the near freezing temperature of the room.

"Please...come back to bed." He offered again, with a more firm tone.

After a few more seconds, starting to shiver with cold, Rachel climbed back into the make shift bed, her head low. Kurt blew out the lantern and pulled the covers back over them. She was stiff as he put his arms around her

"Is that why you've been so troubled?" He asked, as she lay against him guardedly. He felt her nod her head. He sighed and kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to think about it anymore. It's in the past."

"I'm so sorry." She repeated, unwilling to accept his absolution. She broke down again, sobbing as Kurt held her to him. "Please, forgive me."

He smiled at her softly, his hand on her chin, raising her eyes to his. She couldn't see him smile, but she heard it in his voice. "I forgive you."

It couldn't be that easy. She shook her head, trying to stop crying. "You don't understand." She demanded. "I-"

"You had a moment of doubt." He comforted her. "We've all had moments of doubt." He laid her head on his shoulder. "And, it's not my place to judge you, Rachel. Who's to say I wouldn't have done the same thing in your place." He had judged her once before and almost lost her. He wouldn't make that same mistake again.

He felt her shaking against him. He frowned in the dark. "Rachel?" Just then, he heard a sniffling giggle from under the covers next to him. The giggle grew into a full-blown laugh. "What's so funny?" While he was glad she wasn't crying anymore, he didn't know what there was to laugh at either.

"If you were in MY place..." She stopped for another round of giggles. "That'd be one Hell of a mutation..." They both cracked up in laughter that got louder and louder. Finally, they got themselves under control, hoping they hadn't woke up the entire house.

Rachel finally relaxed and felt for his face in the dark. He met her hand with his and kissed her palm. "You're not angry?" She didn't know if she felt more foolish or relieved that she had carried the burden unnecessarily.

"No, liebling. I am not angry. If I am upset at anything, it is that you felt you couldn't come to me with this." His voice was calm and soothing.

"I thought you'd hate me forever." She admitted, still afraid of the idea of that.

He chuckled low. "No, I could never hate you. I've told you that before. There is nothing that would make me stop loving you." He laid his hand on her belly. "I do have a question though."

He paused for a moment, trying to word the question correctly. "Did you want...did you think about an abor-" He stopped. "...you know..." He shrugged, unwilling to speak the word. Rachel nodded as if she didn't want to hear that word either. "Before or after you knew the baby would be...different."

After a moment's silence, she answered. "Before."

That honestly surprised him. "And after?"

"After I actually saw the baby on the ultrasounds, I couldn't get out of that place fast enough." Rachel smiled. "I don't think I realized there was a real little person in there, till then."

Kurt mused over that for a moment. "So, it doesn't bother you that this baby may very well end up... looking like me." He sighed, he had truly wanted to spare his child this curse.

Rachel shrugged. "I don't care." She answered honestly. "My love is like yours...it's unconditional." She smiled.

They held each other tight as they settled back down to sleep. Without the weight of her guilt on her shoulders, Rachel fell into the most peaceful rest she had had in weeks.

What d'ya think??


	29. Waiting and Planning

Sashi - A shot of tequila on a cold winter morning? That'll get ya going! Thanks!   
  
Mara - Live happily ever after? Now, what fun would that be if it were that simple??? :-P  
  
Nightflight - Wow, I didn't know I was keeping anybody awake! (Except me!) We are not that far from each other. My family is from just south of Atlanta - the Coweta/Herd County area to be precise. I call Tennessee home, these days though. ;-)  
  
Colleen - Yup - Stryker...very evil-very smart....and, yes - very limber....ever read of the Karma Sutra?? (And a fun time was had by all!) ha ha ha!!!  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Calm before the storm? Well, they are in Boston. Boston was the last place Kurt remembered being....  
  
Blue Furry Elf - Thanks for the grammar correction! I will fix that from now on! Glad you liked the chapter.  
  
Beryl - Thanks. I have heard and read so many different, conflicting bios on the Nightcrawler, I just kind of went with what I remember being used in the comics (which wasn't too much) and filled in the rest of the blanks with what I wanted. (I can do that - I'm the author! :-P) But, thanks for the info! Some of it I had heard and some of it I hadn't.  
  
Boo - Thanks tee hee! Love conquers all, right?  
  
Kate - Wow.....That is quite a compliment! Thank you!   
  
Jaqanashi - If you have 4 children in your house, I think I know where the cotton candy went!! Thanks for the review!  
  
Angelfish - Thanks - I like to think, not every conflict has to explode into war. :-) Make sure you throw the pointy end of the pineapple at Stryker...  
  
Icegirl-Kat - Your welcome! And, thanks for the review!  
  
Ivy - Tail....fun....How could it NOT be fun????? ;-)  
  
Pilotslover - Oh no! A Lit student!!!!! arrgghh!! Just kidding! Yes, I try to use a few literary devices. (Not too many - this is a fan fic, not Shakespeare...) :-P Mostly I've played with irony, foreshadowing, and symbolism. But I will try to throw in a simile or metaphor every now and again! Thanks!   
  
*Note - Please remember that Ben is NOT sane! So when seeing things from his POV, his thoughts and actions are not based on the reality of situation, but on how he see it.   
  
***************  
  
Rachel had finally gotten tired of snow.  
  
Boston was caught under a late season blizzard. Two feet of the stuff lay on the ground. Drifts measured up to 4 feet in some places. They had lost power for a few miserable days, but it had come back on that morning. The caravan had been forced to stay put far longer than they had intended by the weather. Rachel was growing restless.  
  
"I don't know how you do it." She shook her head.  
  
Kurt cocked his head. "Do what?"  
  
She put down her paperback and rubbed her neck, which had become cramped, sitting on the floor in the living room. "I am going stir crazy, just thinking about not being able to go out. I don't think you've been outside, but once or twice since we got to the States." Even without the snow storm, CNN had been broadcasting her picture every day since they had gotten wind of the story; Rachel had been forced to stay hidden and out of sight. That was a week ago.   
  
Shrugging, Kurt sat behind her, pulling her long dark hair aside, he massaged her muscles, starting at her neck and working his way down to the base of her spine. "You do what you have to do." In truth, he was really starting to pull his hair out, too. But, he knew it couldn't be helped. There was no sense in complaining about it. He had hidden most of his life, in one fashion or another. There was even a time when he had hidden from her.  
  
"Oh.....Good God, you're hired." She purred, gratefully complimenting his handiwork, as he kneaded her aching muscles. After a few more minutes, she felt like every muscle in her body was ready to slip into oblivion. Rachel yawned, sleepily. Boredom had given rise to the one thing that passed the time in this place. Napping.   
  
"Why don't you go lay down for a little while." He offered, softly kissing the back of her neck. She smiled and arched her back against him in reply. After a moment, he stood up and helped her up. Her sense of balance was becoming more skewered, the further along she got. She depended on him more heavily than she liked as she heaved herself out of the floor. She gave him a lingering kiss.  
  
"Want to join me?" She offered.  
  
Kurt shook his head, but smiled mischievously. "Maybe a little later."   
  
She sauntered up the stairs. "Suit yourself." She called behind her, tauntingly.  
  
After she had left, Kurt paced around the house for a little while. Rachel was not the only one who was stir crazy. Today was the first day it had not snowed and most everyone had escaped outside with the excuse of running one errand or another. Surprisingly, he found Keja sitting at the kitchen table working a crossword puzzle. She gave him a lazy smile as she looked up.   
  
"Hiya!" She smiled and pushed out a seat next to her. "I was hoping someone interesting would come along. Want a seat?"  
  
Shrugging, he sat down next to her. "Sure."   
  
She chewed on the end of her pencil, then smiled at him over her shoulder. "What's a five letter word for 'shows appreciation'?"  
  
"Danke." He responded, automatically.  
  
She laughed. "I doubt it. Try again."  
  
"Thank?" He grinned, embarrassed.  
  
She nodded, jotting on the puzzle. "Yup!" She laid the puzzle aside and stared at him for a moment. "So..."  
  
Kurt, nodded, feeling awkward. "So...."  
  
She looked him over, from head to toe and back up again. "You're an acrobat?" She asked, "Tumbler?"  
  
Pointing to the ceiling, he corrected her. "Trapeze."  
  
"Oh...." She sat back in her chair and stared at him for a second too long. "Guess you have to be pretty....limber to do something like that."  
  
"I suppose." Kurt felt a little uncomfortable. He knew she was flirting with him. He was not as naive as some would think. He had watched people all his life. He had taught himself to observe their body language and could tell more from that, than by their actual conversation. And, while her conversation was really no more flirtation with him than anyone else, Keja's body language told him, she was in the 'market' for something a little 'different.' He almost laughed. She would just have to find herself another blue furred mutant with a tail. Even six months pregnant, Rachel still held complete power over him. He didn't want anyone else. But, at the same time, he couldn't deny that it was flattering to be hit on. It was certainly something that didn't happen every day. "I guess it's a little easier for me than other people."  
  
Nodding, she smiled again. "I'd love to see what you can do, some time." She offered cryptically.  
  
'I bet you would.' Kurt thought to himself...."Well, the next time I'm in a show I'll send you a ticket." He smiled, jokingly, disentangling himself from the conversation. He stood and pushed the chair back under the table. He could feel her eyes on him as he left the room. He shook his head slightly. The sooner they got to New York - the better.  
  
  
  
****************  
  
"Have we heard anything, today?" Ben paced Stryker's Washington DC office as if intend on wearing a hole in the new carpet. She had been missing for a month now. There was no telling what that mutant was doing to her.  
  
Stifling a tart reply, William Stryker put down his paperwork and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, we have. We have had about seven thousand reports, so far." But he sounded far from happy about it.  
  
"And???" Ben leaned over the desk, his hand palm down on the top as if he were going to spring over the thing and yank the information out of Stryker's head.  
  
"We have heard she's in Alaska, China, North America, South America, France, etc, etc...." Stryker picked up an odd piece of paper. "And this is my favorite. One report from a commune in Iowa that she has been living there for the past three years and is now known by the name 'Sky Flower." He chuckled, throwing the paper in the garbage.   
  
Ben slumped in his chair, defeated. "Now, what?" He was helpless to find Rachel and bring her home. He had promised her that no one was every going to take her away from him again. Why hadn't she LISTENED to him??? He curled his fists angrily.  
  
"We sort out the false reports from the legitimate ones. So far, no one has come forth with the one piece of information we need to confirm their sighting." Stryker took a sip of coffee. He wondered idly if Ben knew. Or if his demented mind could even wrap itself around the idea.  
  
"What information?"  
  
Stryker allowed himself a second sip of coffee to build the tension. "That we are looking for a woman who is about six months pregnant." He watched every last bit of blood drain from Ben's face.  
  
"You're joking..." He faltered. But it made sense. That would be why Wagner had kidnapped her when he escaped from the lab. He had raped her and now she was pregnant with some bizarre, mutant baby. He privately mourned the Hell Rachel must be going through at this very second, being held prisoner by that abomination. He bowed his head onto steepled fingers.   
  
"Afraid not, Ben." Stryker shrugged. After he saw Ben wasn't going to reply, he continued. "When we find them, I need to take Rachel for a little while." He spoke about her as if she were some kind of research animal, which in Stryker's mind, she was. She had thrown her lot in with the mutants. She could share their fate.  
  
"Take her??" Ben asked, alarmed. "What do you mean, 'take her'??"  
  
"I want to see what kind of 'changes' she has gone through, if any. And, I want that mutant fetus." He explained.  
  
"You can have it!!!" Ben shivered, repulsed. He stood up and started pacing again. "How long would all that take?"   
  
Stryker shrugged again, "Depends on how cooperative she is."   
  
Ben stood up with an arrogant swagger, "Oh, she'll cooperate. I promise.."  
  
***************************  
  
  
  
The snow had finally turned to rain and Boston was coming out of it's forced hibernation. They were starting to get ready to leave in a few days, just as soon as the roads were passable. There was renewed energy in the group as they started packing. Keja pulled Rachel aside as she helped box up the cooking utensils.  
  
"Can I ask a favor??" She begged.  
  
Rachel nodded. "Sure. What?" She folded one cardboard flap over another, and pulled the bottom one out, securely shutting the box.  
  
"Would you mind baby sitting the twins, tonight?" She begged. "I promised Tonya I would do it, but Stephan wanted to go out tonight and I would REALLY like to go, too." She smiled hopefully. "Please..."  
  
Rachel rolled her eyes. The twins were the two toddling hellions of the traveling group. The only children in the group, she felt sorry for them in a way, but mostly, she disliked their mother, who gave no interest in the two, except to get attention for herself. But, she nodded. "Sure, it's not like I can go anywhere, anyway."  
  
"You are the BEST!" The red head cried, giving Rachel a hug. "It won't be a big deal. They just need to be put to bed and someone to stay with them to make sure they don't get up and run wild in down there in the basement.  
  
Rachel had forgotten that part. The twins and their mother stayed in the basement, partly because they drew the short straw when they got here. But mostly, because they were so loud and rambunctious, everyone else wanted them as far away as humanly possible. She really didn't relish the idea of being trapped in the basement with two screaming toddlers, but a deal was a deal. She rubbed her round stomach. She needed to get used to hearing the sounds of a disgruntled child anyway, she supposed.  
  
*************************** 


	30. A Little Fun

Sashi - It takes a pretty big slut....that's for sure!  
  
NachtcGleiskette - About Ben, you kind of have to remember that he is mentally ill and that, in Chapter 16 he threw away his medication. The longer he goes without it, the more he is going to slip into his own world and reality is just going to get further and further away. I tried to hint at the fact he is REALLY not happy she is pregnant in chapter 17, by saying most the time he blocked out the fact that she was pregnant all together. But, now, there is absolutely no way to ignore or deny that she's 'with child'. However, if she were raped...well, she couldn't help that and she really does love Ben and they are going live happily ever after as soon as Kurt is out of the way. (At least that is what is going thru Ben's head.) Sorry, I guess I didn't make it clear enough. :-) Thanks for making that point, though. I'm sure you're not the only one who was wondering that!  
  
Colleen - Thanks! Ben and Stryker give me the creeps too!  
  
Blue furry elf - Thanks! More cold shivers are on the way!  
  
Icekat-girl - Please, ramble on! I love it!  
  
Jaqanashi - So did the children go home....or did you just make them "go away."??? I can't say what's going to happen. But I hate miserable endings too.....  
  
Pen D Fox - Welcome! I don't think I've seen you review before, but please...review again! Thanks for the positive feed back!  
  
Crystal - Don't worry! I am the only person who knows how this story plays out. :-P  
  
Keyanna - Welcome to you too! Thanks for the compliments!  
  
Sinowa - There you are! (see me shaking my finger??) But, since you couldn't help it, I'll forgive you this time! :-D ...   
  
***This was brought up to me and I felt like I should mention it before the story goes any further. I don't want to disappoint anybody. This story is woven into the movie, but doesn't follow the movie exactly. It is AU from the movie. Kinda has to be - Kurt didn't have a wife in child in the movie. So......if you like stories where the actual movie part of the plot is left alone - this is probably not be the story for you! You may just want to stop reading now, before you get mad, because the plot of the movie is going to change somewhat. Not a WHOLE lot, but some. But, otherwise, please read on and I hope you enjoy!  
  
:-)  
  
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Kurt was upstairs in the master bedroom, when he heard footsteps. He had helped Rachel watch the twins and was grateful for the hundredth time that they were only having ONE. He was certain he had heard the word "NO" more times in the past two hours than he had in his entire life. And, his tail still hurt where one of them had bitten it. But, the two only proved to him, once again, that prejudice was a thing taught, because they had no fear of him. Rachel had sent him upstairs after turning down the lights and putting the boys to bed. Kurt's glowing eyes were just too much of a reason for the two to stay awake. She was going to stay with them in the basement till their mother came home. There was a kerosene heater down there and she didn't want to risk leaving them alone with it, asleep or not.   
  
However, when he turned around towards the sound, Keja was standing in the doorway, a long, green silk robe flattering her slim figure. He was caught off guard by her attire, or rather her lack of attire. He turned his head away from her, modestly. "I thought you went out with Stephan." He said, still looking away from her.  
  
"I came home early. The party was boring." She shrugged. "Where's Rachel?"  
  
"Still with the children. Waiting for Tonya to get home." He answered, hoping she'd offered to go relieve her. No such luck.  
  
"I was just going to take a bath." She motioned to the bathroom door, though he didn't see. She bit her lip and sauntered up behind him. "Care to join me?" She purred, laying her hands on the small of his back and sliding up to his shoulder blades.  
  
Kurt nearly came out of his skin at her touch. Flirting was one thing. But, an outright proposition... That was something else entirely. Startled, he spun around and back away from her. He laughed, hoping she was joking. "That's not funny, Keja." He reprimanded her, light heartedly as he could, shaking a finger at her.  
  
Keja followed him. "Who's joking?" She asked boldly, gazing at him from under thick eyelashes. "Come on. It'll be fun, I promise."  
  
Shaking his head firmly, he tried to take control of the situation. "No, Keja. I can not - I will not do such a thing." He gestured towards himself. "I'm married!" With a wife who was just two floors down from them.  
  
"Okay, so we won't tell." She persisted; "It'll be our little secret." She continued her steady pursuit. "Tonya won't be home for hours, yet."   
  
Just when Kurt thought the situation couldn't get any worse, Keja untied the sash of her robe and let it fall to the floor, revealing her naked body. Kurt covered his eyes and looked away, quickly. But, not before being able to see that she really was a red head. He was stunned; he couldn't even concentrate enough to teleport. His biggest fear was that Rachel would come in and see this.  
  
They circled each other. Kurt trying desperately not to look at his pursuer, but unable to stay out of her reach unless he did. Finally, she trapped him in a corner.   
  
"I'll do anything you want." Keja promised, pressing her naked body against his. She ran her hands down his chest to his belt, attempting to unbuckle it.  
  
"Okay!" Kurt jumped. He took her arms and pinned them away from him. He switched places with her, putting her in the corner. "You'll do anything I want?"   
  
Keja nodded, sensually. Her green eyes were glittering with eagerness.  
  
Kurt, picked up her robe in his tail and guided it to his hands. He thrust the garb at her. "I want you to put your clothes back on!!!" he pleaded.  
  
Keja laughed and flung her arms around him. She molded her body against his, pressing her lips to his, demandingly. Kurt's arms floundered in shock. He tried to get away from her without actually touching her, but it was impossible. Finally, he dropped the robe and put a hand on each slender, bare, hip trying to pry her off him, but she was much stronger than she looked.  
  
It was at that inopportune moment that they heard a sound behind them. Keja broke her forceful kiss and Kurt twisted his head behind him to see Rachel standing at the top of the stairs. Her arms were folded over her chest, silently appraising the situation. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked in a remarkably calm voice.  
  
"Rachel!" Kurt cried, finally just shoving Keja away from him, nearly knocking her over. "This isn't....I mean-" There were no words that could make this look better. His wife had just walked in on him and another woman - a naked woman - locked in an embracing kiss. His life flashed before his eyes.  
  
"You're supposed to be watching the twins!" Keja exclaimed, seemingly more upset that Rachel hadn't kept the timetable she was supposed to than the fact that she caught her trying to seduce her husband.  
  
"Tonya came home early, too." Rachel explained, nonchalantly. The calmest of the three, she walked over and picked up Keja's robe. "I think you dropped this." She handed back to the woman who hastily and unceremoniously threw it back on, cinching the belt, almost, angrily.   
  
"Rachel, I-" She started, trying to explain her way out of this.  
  
"Let me guess." Rachel interrupted. "You tripped and your clothes fell off." She stared the younger woman down. "In case you are just TOTALLY clueless, this is the part were you leave with your tail between your legs." She pointed towards the door.  
  
Keja brushed past them and ran down the stairs humiliated. They heard a door, down stairs, slam shut.   
  
"And as for YOUR tail..." Rachel turned to Kurt. They stared at each other for a minute. Finally, Kurt spoke first.   
  
"Rachel, I-I know how this must look..." He started. He stopped when he saw Rachel turn away from him. His felt like he had been shot in the chest when he saw her lean her weight on the back of an old winged chair, her body shaking uncontrollably. "Rachel, liebe, please no!" He begged. "Please, let me explain." He went to her, putting his hands on her shoulders.  
  
But when he touched her, Rachel spun around, falling back over the arm of the chair, into the seat. Peals of irrepressible laughter escaped from her in between gasps of breath. Tears rolled down her face.  
  
He knelt down beside her, unsure what to do.  
  
Rachel grabbed his shirt and attempted to speak. "Oh...my God! That was....the....FUNNIEST thing I have....EVER seen!" She cried breathlessly, wiping tears away with her free hand.  
  
"What?" Kurt was taken back. He sat back, studying her.  
  
Rachel let go of his shirt and thrust her hands, out mimicking him. "I want you to put your clothes back on!" She exploded into more fits of wild laughter.  
  
Kurt couldn't help but laugh too. She knew. She had seen what had happened. Relief hit him so hard, he felt lightheaded. "Then, you saw what happened?"  
  
Nodding, she finally, she pulled herself up to sit in the chair. She cupped his cheek affectionately. "I'm sorry. But, I couldn't resist putting you in the hot seat for a second. But, I would sooner believe that the sun was going to stop rising in the East than to think you would EVER be unfaithful." She smoothed the velvet on his face with a gentle thumb, and looked deep into his extraordinary eyes. "You would never hurt us like that."   
  
He pulled her to him and a deep embrace. "No, never." He whispered into her hair, taking in the scent of vanilla and cinnamon.   
  
"I love you." She laughed, nuzzling his neck. "But, just remember, if you ever did....I'd see to it you sang soprano the rest of your life." She grinned in mock warning.   
  
Just then, she felt a strong kick. "Ow!" She started, instinctively changing her position. "I was just kidding!" She laughed at the baby's serendipitous timing. "She's a wild child tonight." Rachel smiled, as Kurt laid his hand over her belly.  
  
"Now, you think it's a girl?" He grinned.  
  
Rachel shrugged. "I don't know." She answered honestly. "All I do know it's going to be spoiled half to death!" She gave him a loving smile and ran her fingers through his curly hair as he laid his head against her, feeling the baby kick.   
  
***********  
  
Keja trudged up the sidewalk; her boots making sloshing sounds in the wet, melting snow. She was in a dark fury. She had never been so humiliated in her life, nor had she ever been turned down, before. She just wanted to have a little fun. And, with that tail.....fun was almost certainly assured. It wasn't like she was asking him to leave his wife. But, that was all right. If there was one thing Keja knew how to do, it was get even.  
  
Even though the temperature had risen above freezing, her hands were nearly numb as she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. Dropping two coins into the pay phone, she looked around to make sure she was alone, then dialed the number.  
  
"Yes, I saw your story about the missing woman, Rachel Donivan." She waited for the service rep to give her spill. "I know where she is. I can take you to her." She listened again and answered. "What does she look like?? She looks exactly like she does in the picture, except, she's REALLY pregnant."   
  
She was abruptly asked to hold and transferred. A man with a southern accent spoke to her. "This is William Stryker. May I ask with whom I'm speaking?" 


	31. Deal with the Devil

NachtcGleiskette - You're right. Not powerful - just stupid. And, Keja is in way over her head....  
  
Lamby - Thanks! I will read your stories, asap. I promise!  
  
Sashi - Well, Karma happens.....keep reading.  
  
Jaqaanashi - hmm....I didn't realize my plot had so many problems! ha ha ha!!! You are too funny. About the ice cream, just do like me. Get the entire container of MooseTracks (hope Mayfield doesn't sue me...) and eat it out of the box with a great big spoon! Then if ff.n goes down you can comfort and entertain yourself by digging for the ribbons of fudge till it comes back up!!  
  
icegirl-kat - Kurt thought he was done for, for a second. But Rachel knows him too well - and she has great timing! ^_~  
  
Colleen - You were afraid she'd betray them or try to get her hands in Kurt's pants? Or both?? :-P Glad you like that scene.   
  
Blue furry elf - you have no idea...actually, you've all seen the movie - so you probably do know how bad things are about to get.  
  
Angelfish - one of the best? Cool!! Thanks. :-)  
  
Sinowa - Well.....Are they going to run off to Xavier's......read and find out....   
  
Kate - You have a good point. I'll put that question out to everyone...  
  
Boo - A bit evil? No, just childish and selfish and petty and with no ability to think about the consequences of her actions. Stephan's band is not a family except by the ties they bind to each other. Keja, obviously, only thinks about Keja. But we all know someone like that....  
  
Taekwondodo - Thanks! Although, I advise you to push you little girl in her swing. Or else, Angelfish may just throw a pineapple at you! Yes, I love the furry Kurt too! I'm sure they had a very good reason why they made Kurt the way they did, but.....just not quite the same...Anyway...welcome!   
  
Sicklepod - Thanks. I'm really glad you, and everyone else, are enjoying the story. Keja is trouble that is for certain. But we reap what we sow....  
  
Hey y'all! Kate has brought up a good point. This story is getting rather lengthy in chapters. I could do a couple of things....I could (1)-Reconfigure the chapters so there are 10 long chapters instead of 30 shorter chapters. (2)-End this story at the end of the chapter. or (3)-Leave it as is.  
  
Either way if fine with me....Let me know! I'll wait till y'all respond to post the next chapter...  
  
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"Keja. I don't think this is such a good idea." Rachel looked around anxiously as they made their way down the darken sidewalk. The morning, after the 'incident' between Keja and Kurt, she had come back to both of them and apologized. She admitted, she was completely out of line. Kurt was quick to forgive her. That was his nature. Rachel had taken more convincing, but finally, she gave in a forgave the red head as well, mostly for Kurt's sake. He had encouraged Rachel to turn the other cheek and let bygones be bygones. They would only being traveling with her for another few more days, anyway. There was not sense in spending the whole time fuming. He couldn't stand to see her beautiful dark eyes angry, so Rachel did her best to pretend she wasn't.  
  
"Don't be such a chicken!" Keja goaded her. "I told you Kurt had a surprise for you."   
  
"Well, why couldn't he give it to me at the house?" She inquired, trying not to slip on icy patches that had formed after the sun had set .  
  
Keja shrugged, urging her on faster. "I don't know, you'll have to ask him."   
  
They passed a convenience store. The only one brave enough to stay open after dark in this neighborhood. Rachel stopped. "I'm going to get some antacids." She informed Keja, opening the barred door. Heartburn was one of the side effects of pregnancy she could definitely live without.  
  
"No!" Keja cried. "We're already late! And what if someone recognizes you?"  
  
Rachel looked down at her huge coat and felt the toboggan on her head, in which, all her hair was stuffed. "Are you kidding?? I wouldn't recognize me in this get up!" She retorted crossly. Keja frowned nervously. "Look, if you're that worried, go on and stall for me. I'll only be a minute! But, if I don't get some relief, I'm going to start spouting fire."  
  
Finally, Keja threw up her hands. "Fine!" She pointed down the street. "It's two more blocks that way and around the corner. Hurry!" And she stomped off.  
  
Rachel almost pulled off her bulky head covering when she stepped inside, but stopped short and pulled it back down over her ears. She really hated hiding like this. The clerk watched her through bulletproof glass as she purused the aisles, hunting for the medicine she so desperately needed.  
  
She was crouched down on the medicine aisle when she heard the door swing open again, activating the electronic bell. Thinking it was Keja, she started to stand back up and scold her for being so impatient, when she caught a glimpse of her bracelet slipping of her slender wrist and hitting the floor. Quickly she reached down to grab it, and stopped short as she peered through an empty shelf that gave a view of the next aisle. It wasn't who she saw, but what she saw that made her clamp her hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. There was automatic pistol was strapped to a man's side in a holster.   
  
'He's going to rob the place!" She thought, hysterically. She was going to die. After everything they had been through, she was going to be killed by some gang member in an initiation. She wildly turned ideas over in her head. There had to be a back door to this place, she thought.  
  
Silently, she crept towards the back of the store, waiting for a shower of gunfire to erupt any minute. As she gently pushed the swinging back door open, she risked a look over her shoulder. The gunman was facing away from her, but she saw enough to know that this was no gang member. His military fatigues and close-cropped hair, combined with his stance made her blood run cold. She almost wished he WAS a gang member.   
  
Stryker's men had found them.   
  
********************  
  
Her first instinct was to run back to the house, when she remembered Keja. She had to warn her and Kurt, too! Going as fast as she could manage, she raced two blocks down the alley way, thanking God that it seemed to be abandoned, when she came up on the street Keja had told her to meet at. She peeked around the corner and saw the Keja and an older man talking. She didn't recognize the face, but knew the voice. William Stryker. Her heart beat so fiercely, she was shaking. She knelt down behind two garbage cans and listened, desperately wishing she knew where Kurt was.  
  
"Where is she?" Stryker asked, irked.  
  
Keja shrugged. "I told you. She went in the convenience store."  
  
"My men didn't find her there."  
  
"Well, I can't help what your men did or didn't find." Keja crossed her arms. "She'll be here in just a second anyway." She was silent for a moment, then continued. "What do you want with her?"  
  
Stryker stared down at her, "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you." He warned. "What about the mutant?"  
  
"The deal was for Rachel." Keja countered. "That's all."  
  
Rachel shrank further into the shadows. She thought she would be ill. Keja had betrayed her. She clenched her fist around her bracelet and willed angry tears to stay where they were. She didn't have time to cry.   
  
"So, what about the reward?" Keja asked, uncrossing her arms, expectantly.  
  
The reward money. So that was what all this boiled down to? Rachel shook her head. Not just money. Money and petty revenge. Keja had just traded her soul to Satan and endangered, not just Kurt and her, but the entire group, for a chance to satisfy her wounded pride. 'Hell hath no fury.....'  
  
"Reward?" Stryker smiled. "Oh, don't worry." He took his hands out of his coat pocket. "Tell me, Keja, doesn't it even bother you a little bit that you are turning in your friend?"  
  
Keja shrugged again. "I don't think that is any of your business." She retorted.  
  
"You know, girl. I have dealt with a lot of low lifes in my time. Liars, murders, thieves, rapists....but there is only one kind of person I just can't stand." Stryker said.  
  
Rachel saw a glitter in Stryker's hand. Too late, she realized it was a gun. Keja never saw what hit her. There was only a soft "pppfftttt." as the silencer muffled the gunshot. Rachel's dark gypsy eyes went wide and she watched in absolute horror as the red head fell backwards into the dirty snow. One shot to the chest; Keja was dead.   
  
"I never could stand a traitor." He spat at her.   
  
Rachel had never seen anyone killed before. In fact, she had never even seen a dead person, outside of a funeral home. She was so shocked by the scene that was playing out in front her that she didn't even hear the solider behind her. Too late, she spun on her crouched heels. Numb, the bracelet slipped out of her hand. She stared at the barrel of the gun pointed directly at her head. Slowly, she obeyed the orders given her and stood up, hands raised. Her time and her luck had just run out.  
  
**********************  
  
"Kurt? Have you seen Keja....or Rachel for that matter?" Stephan asked, packing up the last of the blankets.  
  
"I thought they were with you." Kurt frowned, gliding down the steps.  
  
"No. I thought they were with you." He answered with his own frown.   
  
"They went out." one of the other men answered. Picking up one of the few remaining boxes.  
  
"Out!?" Kurt cried. "Out where??" Rachel wouldn't have gone out. Certainly, not at night. Not without telling him.  
  
"I don't know. Keja said something about you having a surprise for Rachel and you wanted to meet them somewhere."  
  
"Surprise??" Kurt shook his head. "I said no such thing!"  
  
Stephan stopped him, his face uncharacteristically serious. "Meet where?"  
  
He shrugged. "How should I know?" He shoved past Stephan and out the front door.  
  
The two brothers stared at each other for a second. Then, grabbing coats and hats, headed out the door in a hurry.  
  
They stayed in the shadows and back alleys till they came to the spot not far from where Rachel had been hiding. Kurt's unique eyes caught glimpse of something that made him sick to his stomach. "Stephan...." He whispered.  
  
Stephan looked where Kurt was staring and saw a limp hand reaching out from under the refuse. They pulled the boxes and garbage bags off the figure. Stephan set his mouth in a hard line and Kurt crossed himself as Keja's motionless body was uncovered. Kurt crouched beside her and felt for a pulse. Her body was still warm on the freezing ground. This had not happened long ago. He turned slowly to his brother and shook his head. Stephan knelt down and laid his hand on the dark stain on her shirt. He drew it away, stained a bright red.   
  
Kurt fought down the urge to run in a hundred different directions. He looked around, fearful of seeing another lifeless hand stretching out towards him. Stephan yanked him up and started walking  
  
"Come on, Kurt. There's nothing we can do for Keja." Stephan said. "We have to find Rachel." He was stern and undeniable.   
  
"You don't think..." Kurt felt empty and stunned as they made their way down the alleyway, leaving Keja to be found by the authorities in the morning. One more statistic for Bay Village to have to live down. "This is a dangerous place."  
  
Stephan shook his head. "A gang banger wouldn't have bother to hide the body.." he reasoned, since his brother seemed incapable of it at the moment. A glitter caught his eye. "A mugger wouldn't have left behind a piece of jewelry."  
  
Kurt's heart pounded as Stephan picked up the bracelet Lumi had given to her niece on their wedding day. He closed his eyes are swallowed hard. "Stryker has her." he whispered, his accent was thicken by his grief. Taking the precious trinket, he held it close as if it would will Rachel back to him.   
  
"Then we have to get her back!" Stephan demanded. "We'll-"  
  
"No." Kurt's voice was vacant and hollow.  
  
Stephan stood in the dirty, dark alley and stared at him, opened mouth. "No?? What the Hell do you mean 'no?' They killed Keja! They took your wife-"  
  
Kurt spun on his brother. "And that is why you are not going to rush in like some kind of American cowboy!!!! They have Rachel. I am NOT going to give them a reason to hurt her." He continued before Stephan could interrupt, "It's ME Stryker wanted. They are not interested in you. And, Keja was just...in the way. You have a responsibility to those who follow you." He pointed in the direction of the house where his caravan was packing up. "You are going to take your group and go. I'm going to stay here and wait for Stryker."  
  
-------------------  
  
Kurt looked around the abandoned church. He felt comforted here. Since the safe house was never attacked, they decided Stryker hadn't known exactly where they had been hiding. Kurt wasn't sure why he had sought out a church to wait for him, other than the fact he felt closer to God here.   
  
He thoughtfully fingered the circus posters of his demonic likeness. They were a 'going away' present from Stephan. He knew his brother was angry with him. Stephan did not like being told what to do, especially not by his little brother. But, in the end, Kurt was right. Stephan's first responsibility was to his band. Reluctantly, he agreed to move on and leave his brother behind.  
  
"I still don't like it! This is a stupid idea." Stephan muttered, pacing around the pews. "You should let me try to help you!"   
  
Okay, maybe Stephan was still warming up to the idea....  
  
Kurt shook his head for the hundredth time. "No, Stephan. You've done all you can. I am in your debt, but your role in this is over." He hopped up on the back of a pew as easily as most would've sat in it. "Stryker is looking for me. He knows I'm here, in Boston, somewhere. He knows I'm not going to leave without Rachel." His throat caught at the sound of her name. His tail hung limply behind him. "I'm just going to let him find me."   
  
Stephan put his hand on Kurt's shoulder, putting aside his petty arguing. "She's all right. He's not going to hurt her."  
  
Kurt nodded and took a deep breath. "You should go." He slipped off the pew and back onto the floor. The two brothers, so very different, stared at each other for a moment.  
  
"Kurt, I know we haven't always seen things eye to eye..." Stephan started. "And, there is just so much I should tell you...." Kurt could see in his near black eyes; Stephan was afraid he may never see his only brother again.  
  
"Then write it all down and tell me when you come to the christening." Kurt smiled, hugging his brother. "Now, go."   
  
Nodding his head and gritting his teeth, Stephan turned away and walked to the door. He stopped and looked at Kurt one last time, the door in hand. "You know....'Stephan' is good name for a boy....." He grinned and was gone.  
  
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Kurt paced around the empty church restlessly. Heaving a great sigh, he lifted up the snow globe that had been Rachel's Christmas present and turned the key. He had picked this one in particular because the delicate figurine inside bore such an uncanny resemblance to his Rachel. As the music played gently, he knelt before the crucifix and crossed himself to pray. He had talked with God a great deal in the past four days. He had no one else to talk to.   
  
As he was kneeling in private meditation, he heard the doors open, protestingly. It was mid afternoon and the few vandals he had scared away didn't usually come around till well after dark. He teleported to the rafters and waited. Finally, far below, he saw William Stryker stroll in, in leisurely fashion.  
  
"What do you want?" The mutant growled, his German accent made thicker by his anger. "Why do you hunt us?" He appeared several feet away from Stryker, in a cloud of smoke.  
  
"Hunt us?" Stryker countered. "Not 'us'. Just you. We already have your wife." He tossed a gold glimmer to Kurt who caught it easily, " But you knew that already didn't you?"   
  
Rachel's wedding ring. Kurt swallowed hard. "We have done nothing to you." He implored Stryker, clutching Rachel's ring.  
  
Stryker chose to ignore him. "I'll make you a deal." He motioned to the door and a dozen armed men came in, guns trained on the mutant. "Cooperate and come with us, and you have my word, I won't lay a hand on your pretty wife."  
  
The church was filled with a heavy silence as "Ava Maria" played softly in the background. Kurt set his jaw and walked slowly towards Stryker. "You will let Rachel go." It was not a question, it was a condition.  
  
Stryker nodded. "Do we have a deal?"   
  
With a resigned look, Kurt nodded, sealing all their fates. He said a brief prayer and he began his descent into Hell. 


	32. Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here

Colleen - Thanks! Now, we are entering into the very early parts of the movie....I hope you continue to be impressed.... :-)  
  
Icegirl-Kat - You do feel a little sorry for Keja...but not much.   
  
Crystal113 - Thanks! Glad you are still liking it and still reviewing!  
  
Kate - Don't worry! This would have been a terrible place to stop....I was actually thinking of starting a sequel, but most seem to like things the way they are, so that is how I will leave them. Please read and enjoy! (You're really wanting a girl, aren't you! I have to ask is there any particular reason???) :-D  
  
Jerzey devil - ha ha! OK, I'll do my best!  
  
Sinowa - Yes, Keja deserved what she got. Is Stryker going to let Rachel go?.....  
  
Ivy - Thanks! I'm glad you think my story is fun to read. That was the point!  
  
Sicklepod - I hope he doesn't hurt them either....Stryker is very brutal and evil, and right now he holds all the cards...  
  
Taekwondodo - Wow! I'm glad you like my story SO well! Personally, I ususally like OC's so long as they are done well...  
  
Sashi - You know you love the cliff hangers! Come on, admit it. ;-)  
  
NachtcGleiskette - Thanks!   
  
Kate - Ah....so sweet! Thanks!  
  
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The title of this chapter is one of my favorite quote's from Dante's Inferno. Very awesome book if you've never read it....Strange, but awesome!  
  
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Kurt laid on his bunk staring up at the raw ceiling above him, his hands resting on his chest, tail idly fidgeting with the inhibitor collar around his throat. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of others in anguish. Soon enough, that would probably be him. But, it didn't matter. If Stryker kept his word, Rachel was safe and, hopefully, on her way to the Xavier Institute. He doubted he would ever see his wife again, at least in this world. He would never see his child. He would never hold it, never get the chance to watch it play and learn and grow. He would probably never even know if he had had a son or a daughter. As he listened to the inhumane sounds coming from outside his cell, he imagined there wasn't anything Stryker's men could do to him that would hurt worse than that.  
  
He was pulled from his heartrending reflections as he heard his cell door open. Stryker strolled in, confident and relaxed. "Good morning!" His tone was tauntingly cheerful. "Sleep well?"  
  
Kurt sat up but said nothing.  
  
Stryker sighed. "You know, you are just as quiet as Rachel!" He laughed. "It must be like sitting in a tomb with the two of you around!"   
  
Kurt cocked his head to the side as his intuition told him something was very wrong. "What do you mean? Where is Rachel?" He felt a knot forming in his stomach.   
  
Stryker smiled. "Oh, she's fine. We're going to be running a few tests. But, right now she's-"  
  
He was cut off as Kurt leapt off the bed and lunged on him. Moving faster than one would think possible, he slammed the older man into a concrete wall with a powerful 'thud' that knocked the wind out of him. "You LYING bastard!!" Kurt roared. "You said you would let her go!" He shook Stryker like a rag doll, slamming him into the wall over and over.  
  
His attack was cut short as three guards pulled Kurt off him. The blue furred mutant continued to struggle and fight to get loose. Stryker took a moment to recover, then approached him coldly.  
  
"I said, I would let her go. I didn't say WHEN." He smirked at Kurt's helplessness as he fought the three men restraining him. "Rachel is in no danger....so long as you continue to cooperate with us." He adjusted his shirt, which had gotten twisted in the attack. "And, I have to warn you; this is not my idea of 'cooperation'."  
  
He motioned for the guards to step away. Kurt clenched his fist in livid fury, then hunched over, defeated. He would've cried and screamed and torn this man limb from limb, if it would've helped. Instead, he kept his seething wrath inside, where it wouldn't bring harm to his wife and child.   
  
"That's better." Stryker's tone had regained it cheerful tone as he watched Kurt's silent surrender. "Now, shall we begin?" He took out a syringe. "This is going to sting a little...."  
  
  
  
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Rachel woke up disoriented and groggy, as she pulled herself off the hard mattress she was laying on. Her left hip ached where all her weight had laid on it. Looking around, the darkness closed in on her as she remembered where she was. The only light in the damp, dank room came through a round, grid covered hole in the cement ceiling. She dropped her head in defeat and pushed a lock of her long hair out of her face. She felt dirty and grimy. It felt like she hadn't had a good shower in ages. She wasn't sure how long she had been here. The guards told her a week, but she wasn't sure. In fact, she hadn't left that miserable cell since she had been brought here. Wherever 'here' was.  
  
"Good! You're awake." Came a voice from the darkness. That voice chilled her to the bone. She recoiled against the rough wall as Stryker stepped into the harsh circle of light like some kind of horrible oracle. "Still not very talkative?"  
  
As Rachel remained mute, he shrugged and took off his glasses to clean them. "Kurt has asked about you."  
  
She bit her lip, but still said nothing. Her heart leapt and plummeted at the mention of his name. Every dream she had, had him in it. Every other breath she prayed he was safe and far away from this place. But, she knew better. She put her hand on her stomach as her child moved restlessly. He wouldn't have abandon them - no matter what.   
  
Stryker paced the small space that was her cage. "You know, I really have to thank you. Knowing that you are our 'guest' here, has make Kurt very....amenable." His smile was cruel and malicious.  
  
"You son of a bitch." She whispered, vehemently. She had seen what they had done to him the last time. A thousand horrors raced through her mind as she imagined what her Blue might be enduring to keep her and their baby safe. She willed away tears. She refused to cry in front of this man.  
  
"Ben is still asking to see you, too." Stryker smiled. "I'm sure he could arrange better quarters for you." He bribed her, looking around at the dismal prison.  
  
"No." She refused. She would rather stay here forever than have to lay eyes on that fixated psycho. It was his insane obsession with her that had started this whole nightmare.  
  
"Suit yourself." He shrugged again. "But, as for you," There was something in his voice that made her cringe. "We're going to do a few exams and run a few tests on you and your....baby." He stepped aside and motioned to the door. "If you don't mind..." The heavy metal door opened and two guards stepped through to escort them, as if a woman rapidly approaching her third trimester was any kind of a threat.  
  
Rachel steeled herself, knowing her defiance was purely symbolic. Still, it was all she had. "You go to Hell!" She spat, her chin raised high.  
  
Stryker sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that." He motioned the guards and drew a syringe out of his inside coat pocket. Rachel stood up and backed away from him, fearfully. A guard grabbed her by either arm as she began to struggle wildly, her eyes never leaving the syringe Stryker held like a weapon.   
  
He grabbed a fist full of her long dark hair at the base of her neck and forced her head forward. Rachel gasped in pain as she felt the unknown solution burning her skin.   
  
Then she felt nothing.  
  
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Over the next few weeks, Kurt's mind and body were broken down till the man who was Kurt Wagner and the mutant that was Nightcrawler became entirely separate entities. He endured the pain and torment dealt to him by remembering what might happen to his family if he refused or fought back.  
  
He was not the only mutant imprisoned in this Hell. He watched from his cell as, one by one, the others fell victim to physical brutality, the mental torment, and ultimately, their deaths of their spirits. Kurt kept his sanity by prayer. It sounded cliche, but there was more method to his madness than one would have imagined. Catholic prayers tended to be very methodical and repetitive. So, as he was forced to push his mutated abilities to their absolute limit and as he endured the mental "training" given by way of the mind controlling agent in Stryker's syringe, he repeated the prayers he had learned as a child and imbedded in his memory as an adult, over and over and over again. It kept his mind focused on something other than the mental and physical abuse he was subjected to. When his 'training sessions' would end and he was, normally, dragged back to his cell, he laid on his bunk and dreamt of his family and a time when he would see them again....either in this life.....or the next.  
  
But, even with his prayers, he felt his mind start slipping away; giving way to the same slavery that his body was subjugated to. Bit by bit, the acidic solution they forced on him eroded his self control till his body and soul were completely severed. It happened so slowly, he didn't realize how much of himself he had lost till they took off the inhibitor collar. He didn't even attempt to escape. As he laid on his bunk, he came to the sick understanding that he was no longer imprisoned by steel bars and concrete walls. He was imprisoned by his own body. The man that had been Kurt Wagner was now, nothing more than a consciousness, a ghost, rattling around inside a body he could no longer control.  
  
----------------------------  
  
Rachel lay on the exam table, still and mute. She could see and hear everything going on around her, but could not respond. Despite this, she knew the serum Stryker gave her, prior to each of her numerous trips to the examination room were becoming less and less effective. It held her in this suspended animation for shorter lengths of time each time he administered it on her. She supposed the body must become immune with exposure. Still, she was unable to stop them or even utter a protest as she felt the research staff and doctor, or at least she assumed it was a doctor, put her in stirrups and perform a pelvic exam on her. Pelvic exams were uncomfortable under the best of circumstances. And, these were not the best of circumstances. It seemed to Rachel that little, if any, concern was given to her comfort or her dignity. She wasn't even sure why they were performing this exam, except out of idle curiosity. Surely, they had gotten every bit of useful information they could already. But, since they had performed every other kind of prenatal exam on her imaginable, why not this too? As she lay there, entirely vulnerable, she couldn't help but ponder how odd it felt to have five fingered hands touch her so intimately after knowing Kurt's unique touch. Neither of them were virgins the first night she took him into her bed and they made love. But, still that first time, she remembered being so unsure what he would like or find pleasurable, while he seemed to know intuitively what she wanted. But, then again, her Blue had always known what she needed. That felt like it was so long ago, now. She couldn't even remember what it felt like to be touched by a 'normal'....till now. It was unspeakably violating.  
  
A single tear and a quiet, quiver of a sob in the quiet room was all the evidence of her desperate unwillingness to participate in this exam, as the serum began slowly, wearing off. As she lay on her back, exposed and defenseless, she wondered if this was what it felt like to be 'sexually assaulted'. Another tear fell from her eyes. 


	33. Till Death Do You Part

Sashi....Well....no, she's not going to be released....  
  
NachtcGleiskette - thanks!  
  
Angelfish - I'm glad you could not only read what was going on, but feel what was happening. This chapter feels pretty miserable to me.  
  
Kate - Well, how about if you get, at least, one of the two things you wanted?  
  
Crystal - Now what? It gets worse...  
  
Sinowa - Well, we all know what happens to Stryker in the end. Just makes him deserve it all that much more!  
  
Icegirl-kat - Your Welcome! Hey you all take the time to read and review my story! It seems only fair that I take a few minutes to answer you.. :-)  
  
Colleen - My skin nearly crawled off my body completely when I wrote this chapter...  
  
Jeanne - Glad to see you are still reading! Yes, you really can jerry-rig the lights and water in a house that is vacant or has had the utilities cut off....You just REALLY have to know what you're doing or you will fry yourself! How do I know this? I'll never tell...  
  
Taekwondodo - Yes, different from the movie, but hopeful not TOO, TOO different...  
  
Jaqanashi - I've been making you wait until next chapter since this whole thing started! You mean you haven't gotten used to it YET? :-P  
  
Skibummat - Sorry, things will get better...but first, they have to get worse! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Orphelia-Rose - Afraid there isn't anyone to come to their rescue this time....  
  
Pilotslover - If you liked the last chapter, you should just LOVE this one....  
  
Carrie - Thanks for all the reviews! Are you up to the current chapter?  
  
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Ok....Let me just go ahead and say my blanket..."I'm sorry'...for doing this to the main characters. Just please have faith that:  
  
"Someday, somehow, I'm gonna make it all right, but not right now." (Nickelback - 'Someday')  
  
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"I WILL see her!!" Came a voice from outside her cell. She knew that voice and inwardly cringed from it. Still recovering from her latest 'treatment,' she had only limited control her own body, at best. If there was one person on Earth Rachel did not want to see right now, it had to be the one person trying to force his way in. The person she held personally responsible for everything that had happened to her and Kurt. The one person, she wanted to see suffer eternal damnation for his crimes. Her hate of him was becoming as psychotic as his love for her.   
  
She heard other voices, quieter, too low to make out what they were saying other than they were trying to reason with someone who had lost that ability a long time ago. Struggling, she righted herself on her hard metal bunk and had just managed to sit up when Ben Gammon stormed in. It was hard to tell if he was pleased or displeased to see her.   
  
"Rachel..." He started. He stopped, seemingly unsure what to say. "How are you?" He finished lamely, inching closer to her.  
  
"Fine." She answered, flatly. She reflected that she had been chased half way around the world, assaulted, kidnapped, held at gunpoint, experimented on, torn from her husband, illegally imprisoned, and pregnant. But, other than that - she was fine. Just as he started to speak again, Stryker entered the cell. Obviously called by the guards outside. At this point, it amused her how much security they put on her. She could barely sit up, much less try to escape or mount an attack.   
  
"Ben, may I speak with you outside?" He motioned the handsome blond outside, ignoring Rachel. Reluctantly, Ben turned from her and disappeared thru to doorway. Stryker followed suit and the heavy metal door closed behind them with a heavy clang. Rachel shut her eyes and leaned heavily against the cold wall behind her. She wanted Kurt. More than anything, she wanted him. She could bear being in this nightmare, if he were there. She would believe everything was going to be all right if her Blue were there to tell her so. Instead, she laid back down, and faced the wall with a blank expression. Weeks of examinations and imprisonment in almost complete isolation was finally taking its toll.  
  
"You've been giving her treatments of the serum haven't you?!" Ben accused in a hoarse, angry whisper.  
  
Stryker nodded. "Only enough to her calm." He explained. With almost an amused smile, he added, "She's....feisty."  
  
Ben paced, angrily in the hallway. "It has never been tested on humans!" He turned an accusing finger on Stryker. "I will NOT let you turn her into some kind of vegetable!"  
  
"She is hardly a vegetable, Ben." Stryker secretly laughed at this man who was obsessed with a woman who despised him and carried another's child. "In fact, she is becoming increasingly resistant to it." He said with a scientist's interest. "That alone, actually, warrants study." He omitted the fact that the dosage it took to 'keep her calm' was almost double what was administered most mutants.   
  
"No!" Ben countered. "No more tests, no more studies." His face was an angry red. "You got the mutant. Now, I want the girl. That was the deal."   
  
The guards stepped closer as they saw Ben's mannerisms become more agitated and erratic. Stryker sighed and took his glasses off. "I will hand over the woman as soon as I am finished. THAT was the deal."  
  
"And, just when are you planning on being 'finished' with her?" Ben was so angry, he could barely conceal his fury.  
  
"Once we're finished with the mutant she's carrying." He answered, cleaning his glasses with greater interest than the conversation he was carrying on.  
  
"And when will that be?" Ben's mouth was drawn into a hard line. He wanted nothing more than to have that abomination ripped out of her body. And, with it, every last misguided strand of affection she felt for the father.  
  
Stryker tilted his head with thought. "Very soon. I'd say.... no more than a week or so."  
  
"Then, she's mine." It was hard to tell if it was a question or a demand.  
  
Agreeable, Stryker nodded, "All yours!" He grinned. Or at least what was left of her.  
  
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Kurt stood in his cell, unable to do anymore than he was told, as his jailer came in. Stryker wore his usual cheery smile. The German mutant wanted to rip him apart. Instead, he only stood and waited.  
  
"You have come farther, faster than I would have believed possible!" He complimented. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are simply fascinating!" He folded his arms across his chest. "You are going to help bring about the biggest contribution to man's survival ever seen in our lifetime! You will be remembered centuries from now!" There was a mad gleam in his eye. "Just one more test. Pass this one and you'll be ready! You can leave this place. You would like that wouldn't you?" He stared around at the dismal cell. "To leave here? To be free?"  
  
Kurt's eyes were wild as he tried violently to gain any control over himself, but it was just impossible. He was just too far gone.  
  
"You'll be proud to know that your offspring has given us insights into mutant development on the cellular level that we could only have dreamed about!" Stryker seemed almost giddy with the knowledge he had forcibly taken. "She is a marvel, even if she is a mutation. We have advanced our genetics studies five years thanks to her."  
  
A daughter. He had a daughter. For a moment, he allowed himself to dream that the three of them would be together after this was all over. But, it was only a moment. He already knew that Stryker was not going to let them go, any of them. He had tried to protect Rachel and their child, but only managed to drag both of them into this misery with him.  
  
"Come on." He motioned Kurt, who followed him out of the cell, like a trained animal. "Would you like to see your wife?"  
  
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Rachel was still lying in her cell, lost in trivial thoughts, as she stroked her stomach, trying to comfort herself by comforting her child. She had heard the voices outside her cell fade away some time ago. She couldn't tell how long. There were no clocks here and minutes melted into hours which melted into days in this place.   
  
She had pretty well regained her motor skills as she heard the cell door being unlocked, again, and sat up. It must be time for another exam, she thought, dejectedly. Gingerly, she felt the back of her neck. The raw patch of skin was healing over and not as sensitive as it had been. Still, it burned to the touch. She wondered what the long term effects would be of such exposure.  
  
Her morbid thoughts vanished, though, as she saw a familiar face enter her tiny world. She couldn't speak, for fear this would be a fantasy; she would wake up and Kurt would be gone. But as he came closer, she realized, this...thing was not her Blue. Looking in his eyes as he came up on her, she saw nothing of her husband. His eyes were dead and lifeless, as if he were in some kind of waking dream. They seemed to light up as he got closer, but not with love or warmth, or even recognition. They seemed to delight in the fear she was beginning to feel. He climbed on the bunk next to her, more like an animal than a man.   
  
"Well, aren't you even going to say 'hello'?" Came a voice that made Rachel close her eyes. Stryker. Why did she let herself believe for a second that he would let either of them have any kind of happiness in his realm? In this man made Hell they had been cast into?  
  
"What have you done to him?" She opened her eyes and kept them focus on Stryker, fearing she would fall apart if she had to look at what was left of her Blue.   
  
"Done?" Stryker shrugged. "I've just given him training for his new job." He waited for her to ask, but when she didn't he continued. "The Kurt you knew is rapidly on his way to becoming a distant memory in Mutant X108's mind." He said, pointing to the blue mutant, who crouched next to the woman he loved more than life itself, but now, could not even speak to her. "He is going to help me change history. He is going to be the catalyst that brings about the end of his own race."  
  
"What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes. Her heart was beating faster and faster. The baby kicked and moved, aware of the anxiety her mother was feeling. Kurt pressed close to her, making her that much more frightened. It suddenly hit her that he looked exactly like the posters the circus advertised. This was a demon. This was the Nightcrawler, next to her, without Kurt to tell him right from wrong.   
  
"He's got a little job he's going to do for me." Stryker smiled, enigmatically. "But, first, I need his help here." He took out a needled syringe and a vile of a clear solution out of his outside jacket pocket. "Kurt, stand up and hold her, please."  
  
Without hesitation, he jumped off the bunk and dragged her up with him. She struggled against him, instinctively. He silenced her resistance with a painful wrench, yanking her back tight against him. She cried out in pain. Making use of his prehensile tail, he wrapped it around her right wrist and pulled her right arm tightly behind him. Then, held her upper body against him by lashing his right arm over her chest and left shoulder. Finally, he grabbed her left hand in his and forced it to extend out, exposing the crook of her elbow and the veins Stryker needed. She continued to struggle, but it was useless. Kurt was far stronger than her and held her like a vise.   
  
"Are you, at all, familiar with Clostridium botulinum?" He asked, almost in a conversational tone, as he wrapped a tourniquet around her upper arm.  
  
Rachel was pale even with her natural golden skin. "The bacteria that causes botulism." She whispered. She pressed against Kurt, almost out of habit. Countless times, she had leaned on him when she was afraid or worried. But, she found no comfort there, now.   
  
"Imagine what would happen if you found a way to improve it? Make it stronger, faster." He measured out a dosage from the vile into syringe. "Normally, botulism takes days, sometimes weeks to kill. But, we've been toying with a strain that works in seconds. At least, it does on mutants. I have never had the chance to try it on humans...."  
  
Rachel's breaths came in short, terrified pants. Botulism attacked the autonomic nervous system. It first attacked the nerves in the brain, then worked its way down the body, to the lungs. Untreated, botulism normally killed by paralyzing the respiratory muscles of the lungs. Victims spent their last moments weakly gasping for breath before suffocating to death.   
  
She supposed she had known, deep inside, that she was not going to leave this place alive. But, somehow, she had let herself believe that together, she and Kurt would find a way out of this. Never, in her wildest nightmares did she ever think he would be helping Stryker execute her. She began struggling with all her strength.  
  
Stryker gave a disgruntled sound as the tourniquet slipped, slightly. "Damn it! Hold her down!!" He ordered.  
  
- You were the one...holding her under.....  
  
With a queasy realization, Kurt began to understand that somehow, this was Lumi's dream. This had been her prophecy. His faith failed him, just as he had failed Rachel. He watched Stryker ready the needle in her outstretched arm. Unwillingly, he tightened his grip on the woman he loved and listened to her cry out again in the pain he was causing her. She ceased fighting and stood still, trembling slightly.   
  
"Why are you doing this??" Rachel asked, trying to remain calm as the last seconds of her life approached.   
  
"Because, you deserve it." Stryker answered bitterly, releasing the tourniquet with an experienced hand. "You are worse than a mutant. You are a traitor."  
  
"Traitor?? Who have I betrayed?"  
  
"Your kind. Your species. There is a war coming Mrs. Wagner, and you chose the wrong side." Stryker pushed the syringe forward, pumping its contents into her blood stream. "And, like any traitor in a war....your sentence is death."  
  
-Rachel died...and the baby too...  
  
The toxin worked its way up her arm in seconds, making her feel cold and numb everywhere it touched. Her sight blurred and she found she couldn't respond to Stryker's accusation even if it would have done any good, as the ability to speak was taken from her. She leaned back against Kurt as the muscles in her neck unnaturally relaxed. His face was the last thing she could see at all. As her vision blurred even more, he looked like her old Blue, again. She smiled inwardly. If this was her last image of this world.... it was a good one.  
  
Kurt felt her head fall back against him and saw her start gasping for breath. She had stopped struggling, even before Stryker injected her. But now, she was abnormally still. After a second, her gasping became weaker and, soon, stopped completely. Finally, she went completely limp in his arms. Now, he understood. She had suffocated....drowned. Not in water, but in his arms.  
  
For an eternity they stood there in silence. Stryker calmly recapping the syringe and putting it away with the vile. Kurt stood as he was, holding Rachel's lifeless body. After a moment, he crouched down, lowering her to the ground, gently. It wasn't much, but it was all he could give her. Her head rolled away from him and lay on the floor at a painful angle - at least it would have been painful if......With all the control he could muster from inside his prison, he carefully lifted her head and laid it back in a more comfortable position. It looked like she was sleeping. He heard Stryker giving orders to the guards who had come in. They were discussing what to do with her. But he didn't hear them. Bent down beside her, locked in in a body he could no longer master, trapped deep inside his own mind, Kurt Wagner screamed in pain, and rage, and grief.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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	34. What Have I Done

NachtcGleikette - I told you things were going to get very very bad...

Colleen - Thanks for the compliment. We never want to think the worst, I suppose.

Icegirl-Kat - That was the ultimate test. Unfortunately, Kurt passed.

Taekwondodo - That was a cruel chapter. Blame Stryker! It's all his fault!

Sicklepod - No, the previous chapter wasn't the end. Sorry about the 'thru.' :-P

Jeanne - Thanks! Watch out for the 'Remy's' of the world! They're a sly bunch!

Crystal - Keep reading and see...

Singe - My...Just a teeny-tiny bit bloodthirsty aren't we?

Kate - Like I told Taekwondodo, it's all Stryker's fault! It was his idea...

Jaqanashi - Say you'll keep reading!

Not quite sure who you are -...Hey, kill me and you'll NEVER know how the story turns out... ;-)

Sashi - ...me too...

Star dragonmaiden - I'll say it again - All Stryker's fault! Every bit of it!

Sinowa - Don't worry. That wasn't the last chapter. Now we have to deal with the consequences...

Pilotslover - Exactly. All the characters, save Lady DeathStryke seem to be aware of EVERYTHING they are doing. They just can't stop it. (I say that because as the serum wore off on her, she kinda looked a little dazed and confused...) Thanks!

Nightflight - Thanks!

Angelfish - What, no pineapple?? No, not a dream I'm afraid...

Raya - Thanks! It was a hard chapter to write. I didn't like what happened any better than anybody else...

--

The sun was warm on Kurt's face as he stood up and looked around. There were fields of tall grass as far as he could see in any direction. The air smelled faintly like baking bread as the sun roasted the acres of wild grains. In the distance, he saw a figure standing alone and silent. Running the blades of grass through his three fingered hands, he made his way towards it, wading through a waist high sea.

"Guten Tag?" He asked, approaching the smaller figure. He immediately recognized Lumi as she turned to face him, her face was tired and sad. "What is wrong, Lumi?" He cocked his head concerned.

She only shook her head. In front of her, there was a new gravestone and the unmistakable smell of freshly turned earth. It was out of place here. It was dark and forbidding in this open, light field. It read, 'beloved wife - loving mother' but he could not read the name. He bent down to trace the letters with his finger. It made him inexplicably sad to look at it.

"Lumi, what has happened?" He felt fear in his soul, as he remembered the nightmare he has just lived through. He knew WHAT he had done. He had attempted to take a man's life. But he didn't have the faintest clue WHY. "I can't remember anything. Why can't I remember?"

Lumi's forlorn face smiled, "Because that is, maybe, the only kindness William Stryker ever did for you." She turned back to the grave.

Stryker. He should know that name. It felt so familiar to him. His vague fear became almost panic as his mind reached out to grasp memories that teased and taunted him, yet remained just out of his grasp. "What else have I done?" His question was answered as Lumi looked at him then quickly looked away again. His whole body went numb as his eyes followed her towards the grave. "Lumi..." He swallowed hard as a terrible memory swayed so close he could almost touch it. "What have I done?..."

Lumi didn't answer. Instead she turned towards him, again. "There are two women coming for you, Kurt. A seer and a goddess. You have to tell them about Alkali-"

"Who's Alkali??" He asked, bewildered. He didn't know anyone or anything by that name. How could he tell them what de didn't know?

"Go with them, the seer, she will help you find your answers." She started to walk away, then turned back. "Are you really sure you want answers, Kurt? You will find no comfort in them."

Kurt was about to speak as the wind picked up around them, soon it was so strong, he couldn't stand. Crouched low to the ground, he looked around and saw Lumi had vanished. Dirt and debris stung his eyes shut as the blades of grass whipped around, slapping him violently. Over the screaming wind, he could faintly hear a familiar voice. He strained to try to understand what was being said, but it was impossible to hear anything over the storm that had descended on him. Something about that voice made his heart pound desperately.

With a start, Kurt woke up and looked around him. He was covered in sweat and his body was shaking as he sat up. Staring around, he oriented himself. He was at the church. Slowly, his breathing calmed back down to normal. His left arm still burned a little, reminding him that the past couple of days had NOT been a nightmare. Sitting up on the edge of his bed, he wearily laid his head in his hands and prayed.

--

Snow fell silently on the figurine of a mother and infant as Kurt turned the snow globe over and over. Gingerly, he placed it on a little shelf. He leaned back and stared at it with frustrated golden eyes. Absently, he held his Rosary beads, running them through his fingers. At, least he assumed they were his. They had been in his vest pocket when he had put it on, but he didn't recognize them. Still, they, like the globe, were oddly familiar.

He had come back here, to this abandoned church, after fleeing from Washington DC. He had run solely on instinct; his mind refusing to contemplate anything other than getting somewhere 'safe.' But, now that he was here; now that he was 'safe, ' he began to question what exactly had happened to him. Why had he attempted, and very nearly succeeded, to assassinate the U S president??

This was the last place he remembered being. He had been here, waiting. Waiting for what? Waiting for whom? Unfortunately, he found only more questions here. He could faintly remember Lumi coming to him in his dream. He remembered very little of except that, he wouldn't find his answers here, in this house of God. He looked back at the globe again. He couldn't fathom why he would have something like this, but it was among his things. He had also found women's clothes mixed in with his own. This globe must have belonged to her. Where was she? Who was she? Why had he been traveling at all? Why had he left the circus?

He shook his head and knelt down beside the suitcase, carefully repacking his few belongings. Obviously, he had been traveling with a woman. Jemaine, perhaps? He gently put the snow globe back into the suitcase; paying attention that it was nestled securely, so it wouldn't be broken. No, these didn't look like Jemaine's things. He found himself captivated by the figurine once again. The little dark haired porcelain figure looked so, so familiar to him. He fingered the glass orb thoughtfully.

"Blue!"

His head shot up as he looked around wildly. Standing up, he looked for signs of another person. But he was alone. Entirely alone. He crouched back down.

"Blue..." He mumbled to himself. He hadn't been called that in years. But, yet, he had... Suddenly, he was very, very tired. He picked up the globe and questioned it, one last time. "Who are you??" He demanded. The mother inside the glass sphere only gazed lovingly at her baby, ignoring him entirely.

--

He was awoken from another fitful sleep by the sound of the church's doors being blown open. He teleported himself to the rafters high above the floor. Even as he tried to frighten them away, he knew the two women who had invaded his haven hardly seemed like vandals. They looked like hunters, vengeful angels, come to punish him for all the pain and fear he had caused.

As he lay on his little make shift bed, he began to realize they had not come to punish him at all; they had been sent to save him. He started to remember his dream. Lumi had told him two women would be coming for him. He knew immediately which one was the goddess and which one was the seer. The one who called her, Storm, stared at him with gentle curiosity. Storm was an appropriate name for her, Kurt reflected, remembering the lightening that had ousted him from his hiding place. She could have very easily been seen as a goddess. The other one, who called herself, Jean Grey, tended to the slight wound on his arm. It was a small kindness that he had not expected. There was no fear or hesitation as she expertly cleaned the mark and bandaged it. It was as if she could not see any differences between the two of them. He supposed being a seer meant she saw beyond what was physical. Lumi had certainly been able to see beyond the exterior people presented to her.

"You don't remember anything?" Jean prompted.

Sadly, he shook his head. He remembered the grave in his dream; he felt a shudder of foreboding. "No, nothing."

"Jean?" Storm looked to her friend, encouraging her.

Jean shook her head resolutely; "I would rather take him back to the professor."

"The professor??" Kurt asked as the word snagged on a hidden memory.

- The man who met with you in Geneva?...

For a brief moment, Kurt's mind opened, then shut again, just as quickly. Frustrated, he looked at Jean with intense golden eyes, hoping she could somehow 'unlock' his mind and let him see what was being hidden from him. Despite Lumi's warning, for better or worse, he had to know the truth


	35. Another place Another time

Hey everyone!  
  
I am SO sorry. I have been deathly ill. I am told I will live but I am not completely convinced of that just yet. I know this chapter is short and I'm not responding to any reviews this go round, but I wanted to get something posted ASAP.   
  
:-)  
  
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"Ever been on a jet, before?" Jean asked amiably as they prepared for the vertical take off.  
  
"Yes!" He smiled, his eyes bright. "When we left Cuxhaven. We-" And, it was gone. For a second, he could see everything so clearly. Then, the memory was gone. And all the images with it.  
  
"Cuxhaven?" Jean asked, sensing his memory. "When were you there?" She tried to help him pry the thought out.  
  
Kurt's eyes fell. "I do not remember." He admitted, ashamed of his inability to recall anything helpful. But, he was puzzled. There was no reason he should have been in Cuxhaven, at all. The Munich Circus' circuit didn't go that far north, and he did not know anyone there. But, he HAD been there. He was sure of it; and he had not been alone.  
  
Jean put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, as he slumped, cheerlessly. "The professor will be able to help you." She said with absolute confidence.  
  
Kurt smiled, trying to look encouraged. But, inside he felt desolate and forlorn. After she left him to join Storm in the cockpit, Kurt reached in his vest pocket for his rosaries. Instead, he pulled out a woman's bracelet and a plain gold band - a wedding band. He stared at them with wide eyes, unable to breathe. He couldn't remember ever have laid eyes on the golden trinkets before. But, looking at them, Kurt felt such an overwhelming sense of immeasurable love, and crushing loss, and unforgivable shame, he was overcome by it. He felt tears threaten and his soul spiral downwards into an abyss as he clutch the ring and bracelet to his chest.   
  
-----------------  
  
"No one is responding." Storm said frustrated and worried, as she tried again to raise someone - anyone on the radio. Jean didn't have to be a telepath to read her friend's apprehension. Someone should have, at least, answered at the school. This was not right.  
  
"Here, let me try for awhile." Jean offered, taking Storm's place at the cockpit.   
  
Storm surrendered her seat to her friend and getting up, made her way to the back of the plane. She stared at their strange guest. He seemed to her to be a contradiction of nature, as he sat there. He eyes closed, a demon feverently repeated the prayer of the Rosary over and over. Hearing her approach, he looked up, apprehensively. She smiled gently, hoping to calm him. They greeted each other as made her way to him.  
  
"You and Miss Grey are schoolteachers?" He asked, trying to break the ice between them. He felt oddly drawn to her. He watched as she sat down next to him. She had no fear of him at all. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about this woman was so very familiar to him.  
  
"Yes, at a school for people like us, where we can be safe." She answered, as if trying to reassure him that he would not be persecuted anymore, where they were going.  
  
....a school for children who are different - for mutants....  
  
Her voice again. He heard that voice whispering to him in his dreams and in his mind; unseen and unknown, always reaching out to him. But never quite able to move beyond the veil that hid his memories from him. He would have fought that voice that threaten his sanity.....if he didn't find so much comfort in it.   
  
"Safe from what?" Kurt asked the dark angel, curiously.   
  
"From everyone else." She replied as though that answer should be self evident to someone who had suffer so much ill at the hands of others.   
  
He looked at her for a moment and it hit him. Her eyes. It was her eyes that he was drawn to. Two almond shaped pieces of ebony that drank in sunlight. He knew those eyes. He had no idea who or how, but, he had loved those eyes in another place and another time. He realized he was staring and looked away embarrassed.   
  
"You know, outside the circus, most people were afraid of me. But, I didn't hate them. I pitied them." He smiled slightly. "Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes."  
  
"Well, I gave up on pity a long time ago." Her voice was calm, but there was an edge of steel in it. Kurt wondered if she was talking about pitying others, or herself.  
  
There was an intense fire in those dark eyes that held Kurt's gaze. He couldn't look away from them. And, in that moment, he existed in two separate times and places. As he sat next to this dark eyed woman in the present, he also sat next to another dark eyed woman in the past. She was still shrouded from him, but he knew she was the voice in his mind.  
  
.........I hate them - all of them.....  
  
.........do not hate them.....they need your pity and forgiveness..........  
  
.........I don't think I can do that.......  
  
Looking Storm in her beautiful dark eyes, he reached out at touched her cheek, "Someone so beautiful, should not be so angry." He whispered. He could not tell which woman he was trying to comfort.   
  
---------------------  
  
The image left his mind, but the fragments of the memory left behind haunted him. He watched Storm walk back to the front of the plane as the radio began buzzing with life for the first time in too long. Kurt silently reached back into his pocket and retrieved the wedding band hidden there. In his mind's eye he could still see the tombstone in his dream - 'beloved wife.' He glanced over at his suitcase and thought about the snow globe he carried of a mother and child - 'loving mother.' He felt numb all over as he stared at the puzzle pieces before him.  
  
In a movement of self preservation, he shoved the ring back in his pocket, he began to pray again in earnest. Mercifully, his mind either couldn't - or wouldn't put together the clues given him. Even so, Kurt knew whatever had happened, he had committed a sin far more heinous than the ones he could remember.  
  
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	36. To have loved and lost

Joe Donivan stared at the candle he'd lit for his only niece. He had exhausted every contact in his arsenal looking for her after she'd escaped from Cuxhaven, four months earlier. But after he'd gained a copy of the surveillance video from the White House attack two days ago...he knew he could stop looking.

Never a religious man, Joe didn't have any prayers or offerings to give. He simply sat down heavily in the pew and rested his head wearily on his folded hands. He hadn't set foot in this church or any other since Rachel's christening. And, he doubted he would ever set foot in one again. There was no God. No benevolent Being would have allowed his niece to die at the hands of creature like that.

How could he have been so wrong about Kurt Wagner? Joe had always prided himself on his ability to judge character, mutant and human alike. How could Rachel's husband who had sat with him in that tiny airport in Cuxhaven, be the same monster who had very nearly killed the president...and obviously Rachel. She had to be dead. If she were still alive, she would contacted him by now. He was the one she'd always turned to when she was in trouble.

But, it felt right to be here now. It was the only closure he could get. The only way he had of saying good bye.

A few parishioners milled about here and there, but something caused him to lift his head as he heard the shuffle of reverent foot steps coming down the aisle. He turned back to see an old woman with her head covered demurely. On one side of her, was a young woman with red, tear stained eyes. On the other was a man with dark hair and a look of heart rending pain etched on his face. The old woman looked at him intently as she approached. With a sudden flash of recognition, he stood up.

"Joseph." Came the teary greeting, accented even more heavily by the anguish it held.

Joe reached out and hugged her tightly. "Luminitsa." He almost choked on her name as he held the frail old woman. On either side of them, Jemaine and Stephan joined them as the foursome stood embracing each other and their mutual grief. He didn't even question what had led her half way around the world or how she knew he would be here in this church. He just found comfort in knowing he no longer had to bear his loss alone.

--

Kurt's eyes were sheepish as he stood in front of the Jean Gray. "I didn't mean to snoop." How many times had he stood in front of an irritated Lumi that same way? As many times as Jemaine had talked him into using his abilities for some kind of mischief. He could still remember the way she'd stand with her hands on her hips, lecturing the two of them. Sometimes the three of them if her niece was visiting. They were always thick as thieves, the three of them.

"Just try and relax." Jean replied as she reached out to him, resting her hands on either side of his head. His pleasant childhood memories were swept away by a raging sea of horrific images; each one worse than the last. He could hear tortured cries in his native language that could only be his own. He felt the pain and panic of a trapped animal. Then in the briefest moment, he saw _her_. He saw love turned to fear in her eyes. He watched her struggle to live. He heard her cry out in pain.

Then, he felt her die.

Their connection broke abruptly as German mutant cried out, his head recoiling from the psychic. She released him with a gasp as his pain flowed into her. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

But, Kurt didn't reply. He couldn't speak. He couldn't move. The bracelet, the ring, the snow globe. The puzzle pieces fell into place in a horrid understanding, as the one kindness Stryker had done for him unraveled and his memories came flooding back to him. He wanted to will them away, to be blissfully unaware again. But, it was too late. Too late for Rachel. Too late for their child. Too late for him.

* * *


	37. Pieces of Puzzle

NachtcGleiskette - It's so good to 'hear' your voice! I'm sorry I just dropped this story. Believe me - it wasn't because I wanted to or lost interest. But, I'm getting things back together now and this story just nagged at me to finish it. So - here I am!

Gabrielsdoubt - Hi! Thanks for the thoughful review! You know, I never considered it comparable to Job, but - a guy who's just living his life, has everything going for him and WHAM! "_What about my servant Job?"_ - yeah, thanks a lot God. Please review again. I really enjoy interacting with reviewers!

littlelotssecret - Please, by all means, be cheesy! I love it all. Mozerella, Colby, Feta... Anyway, I am glad you're enjoying it.

xXSlightly-PsychoticXx - Yeah, poor Kurt. If its bad, its probably going to happen to him. I still have a few surprises that will hopefully keep everyone entertained...

* * *

Jean found the blue mutant some distance from the camp. He was hunched over, sitting on the ground, his tail wrapped around him like a wrathful serpent. His head was bowed, not in prayer but in pain. Lacing her hands together, she took a breath and sat down in the damp grass next to him, he barely spared a look at her. After a moment, the red haired telepath spoke. "So..." She took another breath. "Who was she?" The woman in his mind, the woman who was carrying a child, the woman whose memory had caused Kurt so much pain, he couldn't help but flinch from it.

Kurt was silent for a long time. He didn't want to say it. He didn't want to give this nightmare life by admitting to its existence. But lifting his head and staring straight ahead, he finally spoke. "She..." His shaky voice gave out on him and he had to try again. "She was my wife." His whole world, his daughter's mother, the one he'd sworn to protect with his life. The one he'd left lying dead on a cold, dirty, concrete floor without a second look.

'beloved wife - loving mother'

Grief, if not tears, finally came with his confession as he buried his head again in his murderous hands.

"Oh, my God..." Jean breathed in horror. It was obvious, even from their brief contact that Kurt had loved this woman intensely. But, his _wife_?? If Stryker could control someone that completely...She fought down her rising panic at the thought of Scott and the professor caught in the hands of such a madman.

Instead, she turned her attention back to the distraught victim of a campaign against his own kind. "Kurt, I'm – I'm sorry." Somehow, that just seemed so inadequate. She laid a gentle hand on his unresponsive shoulder. After a moment, she got up and left. She didn't have to be psychic to know he wanted to be left alone.

Perhaps he had been on a fool's errand with his beliefs in God. That God worked all things for good. What good could have come of this? Kurt couldn't bring himself to say that there was no God. But he now knew that there was no God that cared for him. He clutched at the Rosaries in his pocket. The ones that had been gifted to him by his wife. He would have thrown them into fire if they weren't one of the few things he had left that connected him to her. As painful as it was to hold them, it would have been more painful to destroy them. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the plain gold band and the sacred beads. One, a promise to a wife that he had failed to keep. The other a promise to a God that he no longer felt beholden to. After many more moments of internal anguish, tears finally came as the weight of his loss fell on him and his faith was shaken to its very foundation.

* * *

After leaving the large ornate Catholic Church that had been host to the Donivan family since the South's Reconstruction, well over a hundred year ago, Joe had insisted they stay with him at the family's estate. After Rachel had put it up for sale, Joe's rare sentimental side got the better of him. He purchased it himself with the hope that one day, when Rachel's children came to visit, they would race through the hallways shrieking like wild Indians – just as she had. Now, he felt like he was entering a tomb as he pushed open the heavy front doors. It was the servants day off, so the four of them sat alone in the huge house. It seemed the home grieved with them as if it sensed that there would be no future Donivan children to slide down it's banisters, or use the dumbwaiter to hoist themselves up and down in mischievous adventures.

Joe's anger roared to find out the Jemaine and Stephan were Kurt's siblings. His first reaction had been to throw them out of his house. Joe and Stephan dissolved into a screaming match as the hurt at losing their loved ones found release in their anger towards each other.

"SHE WAS MY NIECE!!" the tall, strong, elder Donivan erupted, his hands curled into fists, wanting to punch something.

"SHE WAS OUR SISTER!!" Stephan yelled back, uncharacteristically out of control. For a moment it looked as if the two were actually going to come to blows.

Tears streaming down her face, Jemaine implored both of them. "Please, this is not what Rachel would have wanted." Her words seemed to touch the two battling men as their stances relaxed slightly. "She loved us. She wouldn't want to see us fight." She took a small breath to ready herself for what she had to say. "But, she _would_ want us to find Kurt." Stephan stepped in front of his sister protectively as Joe's eyes darkened and threatened closer to her at the mention of his niece's murderer.

Swallowing hard, she continued. "We have to find out what happened to him to make him - " she couldn't finish. All she could think of was the countless times she had watched the couple curled around each other happily and how happy she'd been that they had found each other.

Lumi finally stepped in. She stood before them, taking her place as elder and leader. "Jemaine is right. There is nothing more we can do for Rachel. But, we must find Kurt." She stared at them and dared any of them to question her authority. That was why she had put herself and Jemaine on an airplane, and traveled across the ocean - to find what was left of their family.

Joe bit his tongue and took a moment to calm himself. Finally, he took a deep breath and led them into the entertainment room. "There is something you need to see." The giant flat screen flashed to life with a grainy image of the White House attack.

Staring at the odd angles of surveillance cameras, Stephan and Jemaine stared in awed horror at their brother's assassination attempt on the US president. After the screen went blank, Stephan's eyes narrowed into a dark scowl. He turned a reconciling expression toward Joe. "You have to belief us, Joe. Kurt would have NEVER done any of this on his own. Somehow, Stryker is at the heart of this."

"I don't know how Kurt could have done this at all." Jemaine shook her head, pulling herself out of her shock. "He could only teleport four or five times without exhausting himself. Even then, he couldn't teleport back to back." She turned her head away from the blank TV screen to the group. "And, he was not trained to be a fighter. Even with his abilities, he shouldn't have stood a chance against so many trained men with guns."

"He was conditioned." Lumi's voice was filled with pain as she saw the expressionless eyes of the blue furred mutant on the screen. Even with the poor resolution of the video, she could see that this was Kurt's body, but not his soul. "He was _controlled_."

A tense truce was called between the group as night settled onto the home. Joe agreed to help them find Kurt, if he could. His search had turned up nothing. Neither had Stephan's. But they hoped by joining forces, they might have the resources to, at least, piece together what had happened after Stephan had left Kurt in Boston.

* * *

At Storm's insistence, Jean tried to lay down and get a few hours sleep, but a million troubles played at her mind, refusing to let her rest. Alkali Lake, Stryker, Professor Xavier, Scott...Logan; her emotions raced around her in a deafening whirlwind. Finally she settled into an uneasy slumber. But, instead of a soothing dream, she was trapped in the research facility at Alkali Lake, reliving Kurt's nightmare. She tried to direct her dream away from the heart wrenching scene, but something held her to it. Her mind was dragged away from the dead woman on the floor and toward Stryker and his men. He was pointing to the body and giving orders. She tried to hear what they were saying. It was important, she knew it was. There was something here she needed to see. No. Not see...hear. Something she needed to _hear_. Struggling with the muddled conversation, she held her breath, replaying the moment over and over.

A word. A single word.

Straining with all her strength she fought for that word. Then suddenly - she caught it!

With a cry she bolted upright, her eyes wide, her chest heaving. She looked wildly around for a moment then jumped out of her sleeping bag. Racing away from the safe lights of the camp, she ran as fast as she could to prove, or disprove, herself; three lives hanging in the balance.


	38. Four Minutes in Heaven

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GabrielsDoubt – Thanks for reviewing again! I'm sure the next time God and Satan made a bet, Job just hoped they left him the heck out of it!! And yeah, this has been a roller coaster ride with some serious low points. But lets face it, how many of us go to Six Flags just to ride the merry-go-round and eat cotton candy?? ;-)

NachtcGleiskette – What's the word?? The word of the day is Vasopressin. Let's find out why its so important...

Littlelostsecret – Of course I left a cliff hanger! I wanted to make sure you had a good reason to come back. :-)

Kitty243 – Welcome! Thanks for reviewing! It keeps me encouraged that others are enjoying themselves as much as I am.

This was a pretty long chapter. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Lumi slept fitfully, tossing and turning at the nightmares playing out in her mind. Finally, she bolted upright at the sound of her name.

"Lumi!"

The voice was loud and clear. At first, she hoped it was Jemaine calling her, but the house was dark and silent. She shivered as the temperature in the room dropped. Colder and colder the air turned until Lumi's breath was visible in curls of steam coming out of her wary mouth. She knew she was being summoned by a _muló, _a spirit, and it frightened the old seer. Sometimes spirits only wanted to communicate. But most often they were angry and took out their wrath on the living, especially those whose lives had been taken in violence. Still, the old woman got up and dressed in her worn robe. Slipping on a red and white shawl for protection in case the _muló _was angry, she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. Quiet and dark, Lumi could hear that same voice calling to her from outside. Her heart pounding, she padded through the kitchen and out the mud room into the beautiful gardens that were sleeping beneath a bright, full moon.

"Lumi!"

She knew Rachel's spirit would still be close to them. Lumi shook her head sadly. Her life was taken so unexpectedly, the poor child might not even realize she was dead. So Lumi answered the spirit's call, to help her niece release her hold on this realm. Otherwise she could not rest and would certainly become a vengeful, angry _muló _and a danger to everyone she once loved. Creeping down the stone path, she turned a corner and gasped at the pale figure smiling at her.

"Rawnie." she whispered, her voice freezing in the warm air. Rawnie, her long dead younger sister. Rachel's mother. She stood tall with a never changing beauty. Her face was calm, but there was pain in her eyes.

"Rawnie" Lumi started again. She had been so sure it would be Rachel standing there. "Why have you come here? What do you want?" She demanded of her sister's ghost, pulling the shawl tighter around her small, whithered frame.

"Rachel." Rawnie's voice was all around the old gypsy. It seemed to flow up from the very earth and reach out like the branches of the dogwoods that twist and tangled towards her in the breeze.

Lumi shook her head. "Rachel is beyond my sight, Rawnie." Her eyes stung with tears of loss for her niece and for her sister. She bowed her head in grief.

Rawnie's voice took an air of authority. "No. She is hidden from your sight."

Lumi raised her head, her wizen eyes narrowed. She felt her heart skip a beat as Rawnie's image faded. For the first time in days, a tiny glimmer of hope lit within her.

* * *

Rachel smiled as her bare feet padded softly down the brick pathway toward the stately antebellum manor. The tall white columns were still cool against the morning sun as her hand touched them lovingly. Opening the front door, she wiped her feet on the prickly welcome mat and stepped inside. Everything was just as she remembered it. The tall ceilings, hardwood floors, and grand foyer gave homage to the plantation's rich history and welcomed her home.

Through the kitchen and out the mud room, Rachel stepped back into the sunlight and surveyed the manicured gardens. She inhaled the sweet scent of azaleas and dogwood blossoms, both heralds of spring. Rachel smiled again. The quiet of the garden was broken by the sound of a sweet voice.

"Momma?" She picked up her pace to seek out the source of the voice she loved so well from her childhood. As she turned the corner of the stone path, she gasped as she was greeted by an older version of herself. The woman's serene face broke into a great smile as she held out her arms to embrace her daughter. Rachel wrapped her arms around her mother and tears of joy built up in her closed eyes.

Suddenly, the young woman felt a stab of unbelievable pain in her chest. With a cry, Rachel fell to her knees. She felt herself being pulled away. She cried out again, trying to hold onto this paradise.

"Everything will be all right, little one." Her mother whispered gently and let her go.

Rachel screamed as she felt herself being dragged back down into Hell. She reached up for her mother, who could only stand and offer comfort.

"Everything will be all right."

All things around her dissolved into nothingness. Wailing in pain, Rachel spun and twisted in agony as she was pulled back down into darkness.

* * *

"We got a pulse!" The medic stepped back from his manual chest compressions while another anxiously peered at the readings. "Blood pressure is 70 over 40 and rising." A palpable relief filled the medical ward. "Vital signs on the fetus are returning to normal."

"4 minutes and 15 seconds. " Styker noted with pleased expression as he glanced at his watch. "With 45 seconds to spare." He stared at the comatose woman on the surgery table. "When she stabilizes, move her back to her cell." He chuckled as he walked out. "She's going to be having company." He turned back towards her for a moment. "And let me know when she wakes up. I have some questions that need answering."

* * *

"Kurt!" Jean called out, finally coming to a stop in the middle of a grove of oak trees. The huge timbers closed in around her, blocking out all be a few beams of the full moon that shined down. Turning around 360 degrees, she called again. "Kurt, where are you?" She looked in all directions - left, right, up, down.

"I'm here." the thick Germanic voice was quiet and dark. From the shadows, Jean could see his eyes glowing cold and forbidding. She could vaguely make out his shape against the dark. She couldn't help but shiver. It seemed that instead of being _in_ shadow, he _was_ shadow. It was as if the darkness was a part of him, emanating from him.

Jean reigned herself in. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she approached the demonic mutant. "Kurt, I need to scan you again. I need you to take me back to Alkali Lake."

With a scowl he retreated further into the dark until all Jean could see of him was his intense golden eyes. "No." he refused. That was, without doubt, the most horrific moment of his entire life. It was enough that he had to live _with_ it, without having to live _through_ it again. He was brought out of his sullen thoughts by the insistence of his unwanted company.

Making a urgent gesture, Jean pressed. "Please. It's important." She approached him, reached into the darkness and touched his forearm gently. "Trust me."

After a few uncertain moments, Kurt came forward, the blackness slipping away from him. "What more could there be to see there?" he questioned, bitterly. His tail whipped around him like an angry cat.

Jean smiled slightly. "Not see. _Hear_." She held her hands up and turned a questioning glance to the teleporter who sighed discontentedly and nodded. Settling her hands gently on him again, she carried them back to the cell where Rachel Wagner died.

Kurt looked around the tiny cage again, the only light coming through a grate in the ceiling. He stood next to Jean in the cell, looking at his _beng_ likeness, crouched next to his lifeless, pregnant wife. He saw himself repositioning her head, as if trying, uselessly, to make her more comfortable. He stared at his own hands, remembering her scent and the feel of her long, soft hair.

Jean grabbed Kurt's hand and shook him back to her. She motioned to Stryker and his men. Stepping closer, she nudged at Kurt's memory, as a technician might fine tune a piece of equipment. Slowly, she helped Kurt bring the conversation out of the background and filtered through it.

"_...Vasopressin is prepped..."_

Vasopressin. With a triumphant smile, Jean turned to the German acrobat. That was all she needed. There was only one thing they could have intended to do. This time very gently, she disengaged them from the scene and once again they stood in the dark, quiet forest.

Kurt looked at Jean questioningly, his curiosity battling with his renewed grief. While connected with her, he could feel her excitement over what she had heard. It felt as though he should be excited too, but did know what had been so important. "Did you find out what you needed to know?" He fervently hoped that would be the last time he'd ever have to stand inside that small bleak catacomb.

Jean turned a cautious smile to him. "I think..." She stopped, then started again, feeling hope building up in her. "Stryker told his men to take-" It suddenly hit her that she didn't even know this woman's name. She pressed her lips into a thin line, her hands questioning Kurt.

"Rachel." Kurt's voice hurt at the sound of her name coming out of his mouth. "Her name was Rachel."

Jean laid a compassionate hand on his shoulder. "-take Rachel. That the vasopressin was prepped."

He knew she was building up some kind of hope for him, but he was still blind to it. "Vasopressin?" His tongue rolled around the unfamiliar word.

Jean explained. "Vasopressin is a peptide hormone. It's readily found in small amounts in humans and mutants alike. But, administered in sufficient quantities, it has shown some remarkable abilities to pull someone out of cardiac asystole."

The forest around them seemed to get even quieter as Kurt stared at her blankly, unsure if she was still even speaking English.

"I think their plans were to revive her, Kurt." Jean found herself holding her breath. "Or at least attempt it."

For an eternity, Kurt said nothing. He crouched back to the ground and stared intently at the gold band hidden in his fist. Jean knelt down beside him.

"Kurt?"

Turning a dazed expression toward her, he whispered. "She's alive?" His heart was starting to beat fast in his ears.

"I think it's _possible_." She answered cautiously. She didn't want to give him an unrealistic expectation. "You have to understand, the odds of someone surviving a full cardiac asystole is only about 20 percent at best." She warned.

Kurt pressed on, "But it is possible. Possible they are alive."

'beloved wife - loving mother'

"Yes." She nodded. "It is possible." Her work was rewarded with the first true smile she'd even seen on the furry mutant, making him look more like a fuzzy elf, than a menacing demon.

Kurt clutched Rachel's wedding ring close to his chest. "When do we leave?" His voice carried a renewed sense of purpose.

Jean met his smile with one of her own. "As soon as it's daylight." She answered as they both turned to the east, darkness beginning to dissipate as morning's light brought on a new day.

* * *

Some trivia -

_beng _is a Romani word. Loosely translated it means 'devil' or 'evil spirit'

Red and white are colors often associated with Gypsy death and funeral rituals. White is for purity and protection. Red is worn for luck and vitality. Some believe these colors help to ward off _bengs_ and evil _mulós_.

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Come on! See the button below – I dare you...


	39. Hope and Despair

NachtcGleiskette – I'm so glad you are excited. I feel bad because everyone who read this story way-back-when were left thinking that the story ended were it did...Anyway – I'm glad you approve of the turn of events. :-)

GabrielsDoubt – You're welcome for the new chapter. Thanks for the review. In fact, I am so appreciative, I put a little something in this chapter just for you. I know you'll pick up on it. ;-)

Kitty243 – A new chapter just as quick as I could do it. :-)

Littlelostsecret – Glad to see you are enjoying this so well. And, in response to your last review. No, the serum doesn't mutate Rachel. But it does have an effect on her...(I've been thinking about a sequel, if y'all can bear it...)

Thanks to everyone who has read and especially to everyone who has reviewed. I always enjoy getting feed back and also any constructive criticism. I'm always looking for ways to make my writing better and more enjoyable!

* * *

Jemaine bolted straight out of bed at the sound of her name being shrieked like a banshee. Throwing her legs over the bed, she scrambled across the slick hard wood into the darkened hallway.

"JEMAINE!!" Lumi screamed at the top of her voice. She was racing down the hall towards the young gypsy with a gait that most women her age would have been envious of. The old gypsy's long hair streamed behind her like a silver veil.

The young woman reached out and grabbed her elder by the shoulders, panicked."Lumi! What's wrong?" Lumi reached up and clutched Jemaine's hands fiercely.

At first she couldn't get the words out, English and German coming out together in gibberish. By this time, Joe and Stephan had joined them in a heat. For a moment all four were yelling and trying to talk over each other. It was a scene of chaos which Lumi ended by grabbing Jemaine by the front of her night gown. "Where are Rachel's things?!"

With a furrowed brow, Jemaine asked, "Her things?" She motioned to her guest room. "Her bag is in-"

She didn't get a chance to finish as Lumi hurdled past her and grabbed the worn tote off the floor. Unceremoniously, she dumped its entire contents on the bed sifting through them with purpose. As Jemaine flipped on the light, Stephan ideally picked up a foil wrapped contraceptive out of the pile.

"Guess it had been a while since she cleaned out her purse..." He joked, half heartedly. As three heads turned to glare at him, he slunk away, duly chastised and studied the door jam with great interest.

As Lumi frantically ran her hands through the pile of miscellaneous belongings, Joe and Jemaine tried to calm her down. "Lumi, what are you looking for?" Joe asked, still bleary eyed from having been woke up in the middle of the night by a screaming mad woman.

With an elated cry, the old seer brought a worn, dog eared card out of the pile of Rachel's belongings. "Here. How long will it take to get to this place??" She thrust the business card into Joe's hands forcefully.

Stephan and Lumi glanced at each other. They both knew Lumi couldn't read a word of English. "What place?" Jemaine asked glancing at the card in Joe's large hands.

"Xavier's school." Stephan recognized the card. "This is where they were headed, Lumi. But they never made it." He wanted to say more, but stopped. He had promised them a safe passage there and failed both of them. It wore on his mind more than anyone knew.

"Quiet!" Whether they were 7 or 27, that sharpness in Lumi's voice snapped the two into silence in a moment.

Even Joe stopped short for a second. Then, regaining his composure, he studied the card. "Salem? Well, it's about 17 hours if we drive. 2-3 if we fly." He answered cautiously. He had just come to terms with the fact of Rachel's death. What was this old woman getting at? He turned the card over in his hands thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

Lumi started shoving items back into the bag and tossed it to Jemaine. "Fly or drive, it doesn't matter. So long as we are there by sunset." She turned an irritated eye on the three confused bystanders. "Why are you just standing there?? Get your clothes on!" She ordered everyone, then broke off to the hallway and back to her room in a hurry.

"Wait!" Joe demanded answers. "Why sunset? What's going on? Lumi?!" But she was gone. Joe stood, dumb founded in her wake. "Is she always like this?" He turned to the siblings, with an almost comical expression of awe.

Jemaine shrugged, obediently pulling her clothes out of her suitcase to dress. "I guess, you just get used to it."

Stephan chuckled, shook his dark head. "I'll tell you one thing. She's never wrong."

Joe ruffed his silver hair and scratched at his well trimmed beard. He was not the sort of man who lived at the whim of others. And, certainly not the kind to go chasing a wild goose in the middle of the night. "She's never wrong about what??"

Brother and sister turned to each other with mirrored expressions of hope. "I suppose we'll find out when we get there." Jemaine answered cryptically pushing the two men out of her room so she could change.

* * *

There was not a single part of her body that didn't hurt in some form or fashion. Only her hands and feet were spared pain, simply because they were still numb from lack of oxygen. Slowly, groaning quietly, Rachel opened her eyes. Her throat was raw and sore. Vaguely, she remembered having a tracheal tube pulled out of her throat. She recalled gagging on it and the crude comments that had accompanied that. They were the same derogatory, off color comments that she heard every time someone recounted that she had sex with and was pregnant by mutant x108. At first, they had made her angry. But she didn't have the will or the energy to be angry anymore. Now, all she felt was small and weak and helpless.

Her scenery had not changed. Same dark, dirty cell. Same hard mattress on a cold metal bunk. New pain though, as she remembered what had transpired here. She stared at the cell door, tears welling up in her eyes. Her Blue. They killed him; they killed him as surely as if they had put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger. She bit her lips into a tight line as tears came.

The baby moved trying to make herself more comfortable in her ever shrinking confines. She pressed her tiny feet up on her mother's rib cage which CPR had left fractured in multiple places. Rachel gave a rasp of pain and, for a moment she couldn't breath as she used her left hand to press down on her daughter, halting her unintentional torture. After a few seconds, the baby conceded and curled back down and away from her mother's broken ribs. Rachel gave a sigh of relief, then, with concern, tried to inspect her right arm. It hurt too badly to even move it. Her tears turned into hoarse, pain filled sobs as she saw the unique pattern of the near black bruise wrapping up her swollen forearm in an coiled motion. Her Blue. They hadn't killed him. They had done far worse than that. They had turned him into a monster, a demon – The Nightcrawler.

Rachel didn't try to move, not even to curl up as she had done so many times before to offer herself some imagined protection from this horrible place. She was exhausted and too riddled with pain. She no longer even cared if the surveillance camera saw her cry. Her body, her heart and her spirit were all broken. She had given up. She had come into this place _afraid_ she and her baby might die here. Now, all she _wanted_ was for the two of them to die and stay that way.

* * *

The first rays of dawn found the camp breaking down hastily. The Blackbird was patched up as well as could be with the equipment on hand. She was a little rough, but she'd fly. Kurt had helped pack up the tents, then found a quiet place to pray before they left. Just a few hours ago, he'd been ready to curse God and die. Now, he knelt down, desperately pleading with him for a chance to save his family.

A footstep brought him out of his meditation. His 'training' had made him far more alert and wary than had ever been necessary before. The mutant, Mystique, stood over him with a questioning look on her face.

"You have a _woman_...at Stryker's base?" Her eyes were curious.

Kurt put away his Rosary. Nodding as he stood up. "My wife...and" he paused for a moment to plead silently with God one more time. "...baby." He rounded his arms out in front of him, indicating the baby was not yet born. "A little girl." He smiled.

Mystique tilted her head towards him. "Is your...wife...a mutant?"

Kurt shook his head and laughed ironically. "Nien. She is a veterinarian from Georgia." He met Mystique's golden eyes with his own. "She is human."

"That's too bad." She replied, shaking her head sadly.

"Why?" The German mutant stared at her in confusion.

"The world will not allow it. She is human, your are a mutant. It will always be between you." She seemed to be far away for a moment, but was brought back by Kurt's quiet chuckle. "What's so funny?" She demanded.

Sighing, the furry acrobat remembered back. It seemed so long ago, when he had spouted off that same racist nonsense at Rachel. It was the first time he'd ever seen her cry. "I used to believe that as well. But I was wrong." He motioned to the shape shifter, slightly accusingly. "You are wrong, too."

In a surprising move, she reached out and touched the sleeve of his coat. "There is a war coming, Kurt. I would hate to see you on the wrong side of it." She looked at him meaningfully. With a start, Kurt wondered if she was asking him to join her faction.

Kurt nodded towards the two women who had found him. The two who had tended to his wounds, both seen and unseen. "There are those who believe we can live in peace." He offered.

She steeled her voice with bitterness. "Humans fear us. They will hunt us until we are all exterminated if we do not fight back."

Kurt turned his hands in a frustrated gesture. "That's not true. Not all humans fear mutants." His thoughts instantly fell on all the humans he'd grown up with in the circus. The humans who had raised him; the human he had taken for his wife. Despite being feared by strangers, he had lived among loving humans all his life.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, they heard Logan rounding everyone up with his gruff voice. The group was ready to get under way.

"You're not a fighter, are you Kurt?" He couldn't tell if her voice was approving or not.

Kurt had grown up using his sense of humor and his kind nature as his buffer against ignorance and prejudice. Never once, had he tried to use his abilities to hurt others. But now, Stryker had hard-wired him to do just that. Oh, he knew how to fight, how to kill. But now, no longer controlled, he also knew he had a choice. With an air dignity he smiled slightly. "I fight if I have to. But, if there is any chance I can live in peace...then I will."

* * *

Ben studied the schematics of the 'Cyrebro' machine again. He had headed the team that recreated it at Alkali Lake. It was a truly fascinating invention. Rachel had always joked that his mind had to be made of gears and metal because he understood machines so well and people so little.

He smiled at that memory. They had so many good times together. Far more good times than bad. He remembered falling in love with her the first moment he'd laid eyes on her. With her hair pulled back into a pony tail, no makeup and generic white lab coat. She was still the beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He knew he had to have her. He pursued her relentlessly till he'd finally worn down her resistance. He had made her happy. He knew he did.

So, what had gone wrong? What could have happened to her to make her turn her back on everything for a circus freak. Especially after what it had done to her. It made no sense. Why pick that mutant when Ben was throwing himself at her feet; doing anything and everything to convince her to come back to him?

Shaking his head, he cleared off the smart board and started working on new calculations, based on the insights Cyrebro had given him into techno-neural interfaces. Maybe he had been going about this all wrong. Maybe she was too far gone for traditional means of persuasion. Maybe what she needed was a total reboot...a fresh start.

With renewed optimism, he lost himself in his calculations.

* * *

Ok! What d'ya think?? Press the button below and let me know!


	40. Old Enemy and New Friends

Kitty243 – Here ya go. Hot off the keyboard!

GabrielsDoubt – You're right on the money with the time line! Good job. Even evil genius takes time, he won't even be out of the planning phase for months yet.

NachtcGleiskette – Me neither, Ben's the kid in the back of the class who pulled wings of flies just to see watch them suffer...

littlelostsecret – Fans? I have fans? Or at least, this _story_ has fans? _Really??_ We are rapidly approaching the end of this story and maybe the beginning of a sequel if y'all are willing to indulge me...

* * *

Thanks again to everyone who has read and in particular to those who take a few second to hit that blue clicky button!

* * *

Rachel was woken by a painful sting in her hip. She opened her eyes, and gave a frightened cry as William Stryker stepped away from her, capping a syringe. She laid on her side, staring warily, wondering what had been in that needle, and now in her.

Stryker followed her gaze to the needle as if he was surprised she'd be curious about it. "Not to worry." He waved it into his jacket pocket. "Just a little Demerol. Thought you might could use something for the pain." He thumped his chest, smiling broadly. "CPR is hell on the ribs, isn't it?"

Rachel wasn't sure she believed him, but she couldn't deny that a warm, relaxing feeling of numbness was seeping into her pain wretched body. At this point, she supposed it didn't really matter what she'd been injected with. He could kill her and bring her back...just to kill her again if he wanted. This was Hell and he was the Devil...with demons at his command. He could do anything he wanted.

She heard the sound of paper rustling and looked back up to see Stryker adjusting his glasses. He held a white, spiral bound volume in his hand.

"Tell me Rachel...what are the four major types of genetic mutation?" He looked over his glasses at her like a school teacher giving a pop quiz.

'What?' Rachel thought, puzzled. That was a first year biology question. She sighed and looked back down at the gritty floor, just wishing he would disappear.

Stryker gave her a _'humph'_ and continued. "Too easy? Well you do hold a doctorate, so let's trying something a little harder..." She heard him turning a page on the binder he held. "OK. How about this one?...'Gene Targeting to Prevent Accumulation of Deleterious Genetic Mutation Due to Lacking Biodiversity in Endangered Primates'" He finished the mouthful and paused, smiling, as Rachel locked eyes with him. "Any thoughts on that?"

Rachel's pulse quickened against the Demerol slowly pulling her into drowsiness.

"You are given credit as having worked on this project." Stryker turned to the page that had her name listed with half a dozen others. "Did you do any of the actual research? Or did you just make coffee for the real scientists?" He taunted her.

He took off his glasses to see her better. "You're not a veterinarian."

Rachel shook her head. "Yes. I am." She replied flatly, in a quiet, raspy voice. She had a feeling she didn't like where this was headed.

Stryker replied, putting his glasses back on. "I didn't say you don't have a DVM, or that you didn't donate your time to big game charities. But your no Dr. Doolittle. You never spent your days spaying cats or neutering dogs. You spent most of your days in a lab, didn't you?" He pointed to the research in his hand. "Working on this."

He gave her a moment to catch up to him, then continued. "Tell me, were you _really_ happy working in a traveling circus?" He didn't wait for a reply he knew wasn't coming. He motioned to the bound volume again. "This work is inspired. A little dry, but a very intriguing read." He broke into an evil grin as he continued.

Rachel didn't even try to fathom what he was getting at. Her head was fuzzy. She couldn't think straight. She had worked hard and given up a year of her life for that project. She was extremely proud of the work they had accomplished. With the exception of Hank McCoy, she'd come to have a great love and respect for every single person associated with it.

"Did you know, genetically speaking, chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than coyotes are to dogs?" He chuckled. "Of course you do. Gene sequencing was never my forte." He smirked and motioned back to the paperwork in his hand. "But it is yours. "

Rachel's head began to spin in a medicated dizziness. She tried to force herself think clearly. "What do you want?" She hissed.

Stryker wouldn't be rushed. "Tell me, weren't you just the _tiniest_ bit curious about Mutant x108's genetic makeup?" He studied her face for a reaction. "What else would attract someone like you to something like that?"

He had been her childhood friend, her husband...her best memory. If she could have, she would have screamed all that at him, but it made no difference now. Kurt was gone. Whether the Nightcrawler was still alive or not, Kurt was gone. Instead, she simply shook her head.

Stryker motioned her belly. "Well, most of your work _was_ hands on." He joked, chuckling to himself. "I'm here to offer you a job." He said suddenly. When she didn't answer, he cleared his throat and clarified. "You are a decent geneticist. I want you on my team. You're still a traitor, but I'm offering you the chance to redeem yourself. It's not a chance I offer very often." He motioned to the child inside her. "I may even let you keep your little experiment, there."

She stared up at him in a way that would have made Kurt Wagner run for cover. "You chase me half way around the world, kidnap me, throw me in this God forsaken Hell Hole, torture my husband, experiment on my baby, execute then resuscitate me, and now what...you want me to fill out a _job application_?!" She was so hoarse at that point, she could barely get the words out. Getting herself back under control, she shook her head. "You go to Hell." She whispered as her voice gave out completely.

With a sinister chuckle, Stryker turned to leave, "You're choice. _If_ the two of you live through the next day or so," He turned back and looked over his glasses pessimistically, "which I doubt; maybe instead of being on the team, I'll just let you _watch_ us train your mutant spawn the same way we trained your husband." He could resist one more jab. "That is, of course, assuming Ben Gammon doesn't still want you..."

The cell door shut with a unforgiving metal clang. She felt cold down to her core as desperation came over her. She knew the two of them were running out of time. Comfortingly, she stroked her stomach. Her voice was completely gone, so she just quietly hummed a little tune to her daughter to calm both of them. Rachel knew what she had to do.

Compassionately, the Demerol injection worked its way through her rapidly and soon she was in a dreamless, drug induced sleep far away.

* * *

"Why couldn't we fly?" Jemaine asked for the fifth time as the foursome crossed out of North Carolina and into Virginia. She shifted in the back seat, trying to get more comfortable in the Escalade's leather seats. Even luxury started to wear on her nerves after 400 miles.

Joe sighed. It was turning out to be a very long trip. "There were two military jets downed under suspicious circumstances. FAA aren't allowing any civilian air crafts in the air until further notice." He repeated for at least the third time. He wasn't even sure why he was doing this. But, Lumi would not be denied. Joe was starting to understand why Rachel had always been allowed to spend her summers in Germany, if Rawnie had been anything like her sister.

Stephan laughed at his sister's impatience. "Sis, what's the matter? You travel all the time back home."

Jemaine turned an irritated eye on her older brother. "Yes, but back home, if we'd driven this far, we'd be in another country by now."

He couldn't suppress a grin. She was very nearly right. "Why don't you try to take a nap or something?"

Mumbling a curse in German, just for Stephan's ears, Jemaine closed her eyes and managed to drift off to sleep. It was a hundred miles later when she woke up with a terrible start. Her heart was pounding and her chest was heaving at the images left in her mind.

"Jemaine." Lumi's voice was quiet, next to her. She held the young woman's hand and stared at her knowingly.

When Jemaine finally brought herself to reality, she looked wildly at the old seer. "Lumi..." She whispered, awe filled.

"Jemaine? You ok back there?" Stephan asked, craning his neck back. A look of sincere brotherly concern on his face.

Lumi patted Jemaine's hand and answered for her. "She's fine, Stephan." Then, she leaned closer to her charge. "You've seen...haven't you?" Her voice was soft so as not to be overheard.

Jemaine nodded dazed, her thoughts still whirling. "What did I see?"

Smiling, Lumi sighed. "You have the gift, Jemaine. You have seen to the truth. You have seen what _is_. And, what _could_ _be_." She kept her voice quiet and secretive.

Jemaine trembled at the bold images in her mind that meant nothing and everything. "I saw..." She shook her head, trying to make sense of it all. "I saw a crow, with a broken wing." She motioned to her mouth. "It was carrying a pearl in its beak." She looked at Lumi, but her eyes were far away. "And, a serpent in an empty grave." Finally she shivered.

Lumi probed her. "What else have you seen?" She squeezed Jemaine's hand. "Its all right."

Jemaine's eyes swelled with tears. "I saw someone f-falling from the sky." She hid her face behind her hands.

"Who did you see?" Lumi asked, but she already knew.

* * *

The mismatched band was subdued and quiet as they winged towards Alkali Lake. Kurt sat, crouched in his seat, running the Rosary beads through his three fingered hands, silently repeating the Rosary prayer over and over with each bead. In between, pleading with the Almighty for a miracle.

He was brought out of his meditation once again, but this time by the young girl, Rogue; his co-conspirator. In her eyes, he saw the same expression he had seen a thousand times before as someone came to know him and tried to equate what they saw with their eyes with what they felt with their hearts. He returned her hesitant smile.

"Your wife is at Alkali Lake?" She asked, her eyes narrowing in interest.

"Ja." He whispered. "Word must spread quickly." He would have laughed if it had been in him.

She shrugged. "It's a small plane." There was a pause. "We'll find her." She promised, laying a reassuring hand on his arm.

Kurt swallowed hard and nodded. After a few awkward seconds, he ventured. "Your voice...it reminds me of hers."

Rogue chuckled. "Must be the accent. Where is she from?"

"Atlanta. Georgia."

"What's her name?"

"Rachel..."

"How did the two of you meet?"

Kurt gave a small sincere smile for what this girl was trying to do; help him bear his burden. Slowly a conversation evolved and by the time the plane was setting down, Kurt almost felt...comfortable among these people. He liked this young girl, her beau, the two angels. Even the brusque one who called himself Logan had something in him that made you trust him. Kurt could already tell that earning his friendship was not easy, but it was well worth the effort.

If they represented what Xavier's school had to offer, then he felt good about his family being there. At that, his thoughts were pulled back down into turmoil as he pleaded.

_Please, Father. Please let her be alive. _


	41. Desperate Measures

NachtcGleiskette – Well, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Kitty243 – Wonderful? Glad you approve. :-)

lls – It makes me feel much better that you are a fan. Thanks. :-)

BeautifulXinXBlood – Welcome! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it! I can't believe you read this in one day! That's quite a compliment.

Adrienne Valentine – Welcome to you too! You and Beautiful must be fast readers! Or maybe I'm just a really slow reader...anyway, you weren't alone about wanting to kill me when I killed Rachel off. But, really and truly, it was never my intention for her to 'stay' dead. :-)

* * *

"I think she's _dead_, guys."

"Why is she so fat?"

"She's not fat, you moron. She's pregnant."

Rachel dragged herself from her beautiful, drug induced sleep at the sound of strange voices all around her. As she opened her eyes, she came face to face with a young boy. He started and stumbled back away from her. Fighting against her better judgment, she pushed herself up with her good arm. She felt like she was made of Jello as her body wavered under the demands of her will.

She gazed bewildered at the small group of frightened kids. They were all wearing night clothes as if they'd been snatched from their beds.

"Where are we?" Asked a dark haired, Asian girl. She seemed to be the self appointed leader of the group.

Rachel sighed. _'Hell.'_ she thought, then looked up at the grate in the ceiling. "I'm not entirely sure." Her voice barely above a whisper.

"Who are you?" the boy asked. He stood shifting his bare feet on the cold floor, trying to look tough instead of terrified.

Giving a faint smile, Rachel motioned to the bunk beside her. "Get your feet off the floor. You'll catch cold." Slowly, the younger ones climbed onto the bunk with her, seeking comfort. The older ones still standing, refusing to admit they felt any discomfort or fear.

"How did that happen to your arm??" A small girl asked timidly, motioning to her badly bruised forearm.

Rachel tried to smile and bit her lip. "Some would say I did it to myself. That I made some very bad choices." She shook her head.

Oblivious to her sadness, the little girl continued her pint-sized interrogation. "Is there a baby in there?" She pointed at the dark haired woman's swollen abdomen, grinning slyly.

Rachel splayed her hand over stomach and managed a little smile. "Yes." she nodded. "A baby girl."

The small child was silent for a second, then asked. "Where's her daddy?"

Unable to keep from tearing up, the Rachel took a moment to try to get herself under control. "He...he died." Her lips trembled slightly as memories played around her.

"Oh..." She seemed sincerely sorry she'd asked, then offered some solace. "My daddy's dead too."

Rachel used her left hand to stroke her hair, giving both of them a little comfort.

"My name is Rachel." She offered to the silent group. "What's yours?" She glanced around the room at each face. She saw a menagerie of expressions; from fearful, to suspicious. Still, they slowly stepped forward giving their names and what little they understood of their abduction.

* * *

Rachel's felt her blood freeze as the demon burst in on them. The older children backed away towards the bunk. The younger ones all crowded closer to the lone adult and therefore unspoken protector of their little group.

Blond hair and blue eyes did nothing to hide the evil in this creature as he snarled at them. She took a staggered breath and held the young boy, Artie, closer. "What do you want?"

Ben Gammon shoved the boy roughly out of Rachel's arms. "Get away from her!" He hissed, yanking Rachel up by her bruised arm. She gasped in pain, as the Demerol was fading. "I'm getting you out of here." He snapped, pulling her towards the door. She began struggling, but stopped short as he pulled his jacket to the side revealing the glimmer of a nine millimeter Beretta stuffed in his waist..

"Let's not have any unpleasantness in front of the...children." His eye gleamed with an insane light. "I'm sure you don't want to see anyone else getting hurt."

"Rachel..." She heard the tiny voice of Jubilee behind her.

"Its all right." Rachel called behind her, her eyes locked with that of her 'savior.' "I'll be fine." She lied and let herself be led outside and the cell door slammed shut behind them.

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Storm and Kurt hurried along the bleak, harsh corridor. Kurt tried hard to keep his mind on the task at hand and not on the horrific memories that being here brought up. First, they would rescue the children, then he would find Rachel. It was a fair guess she would be nearby. That all the detainees would be held in the same area. He didn't let him mind dwell on possibilities _other_ than finding her alive and safe.

One by one, Kurt teleported the children up to their waiting, anxious instructor. There was a time when half a dozen teleports would have completely exhausted him. Now, he barely felt it. He went back into the cell one last time to make sure they hadn't missed anyone and fell to his knees.

This was the place. This had been Rachel's cell. This was where he had enabled Stryker to act out her execution. Silently looking around, grief welled up inside him. She wasn't here. He shut his eyes to the obvious. If she wasn't in her cell, it could only mean one thing. He knelt down on the floor where he remembered her laying, still and lifeless. With one hand he touched the floor as if her essence might still cling to the spot. With the other, he clutched his chest, his lungs refusing to draw in air. " I'm so sorry, meine Liebe." He sobbed in a heart broken whisper.

Up above him in a huddled conspiracy, Artie pulled on Jubilee's sleeve. "What about the lady??" He whispered, harshly.

Jubilee pulled her arm away from him, irritated. "Shut up, Artie!" She spat at him.

Storm cocked her head, her full attention on the pair. "What lady?" Her tone mandated no foolishness.

"Kurt?" Storm called down, peering into the darkness of the cell. When she got no answer she tried again. "Kurt! Get up here, now!" She ordered urgently.

A very somber, broken mutant appeared to her in a burst of black smoke. He slumped forward till he was on all fours. He shook his head, his eyes fixed on the floor. "She's not here." His voice was quiet and broken. "This was her cell...but she's not here."

Storm grabbed the distraught German by the shoulders and willed his eyes up to hers. Then, she turned to the children. "Artie, tell Mr. Wagner what you just told me."

Hesitantly, Artie stepped forward. He saw Nightcrawler's tail twitch and his eyes opened even wider. "He's got a tail, Miss Ororo!" He pointed, mouth gaped open.

"And, you've got a blue, forked tongue!" One of the other boys countered.

Lightening flashed in Storm's eyes. "Enough!" She motioned for Artie to follow her instructions.

Swallowing hard, the young mutant stepped forward. "Th-there was a lady in the cell with us..." He looked back at Storm for encouragement. At her nod he continued, Kurt's luminous eyes completely fixed on him. "She was really big."

Jubilee jumped in. "You are such an idiot, Artie!" She hissed at him like an angry older sister.

Taking the lead she turned to the acrobat. "She was pregnant."

Kurt felt his heart stop completely. "Preg..."

She nodded. "Yeah." She held her hands out indicating. "Any _more_ pregnant and I was afraid we'd have to start boiling water."

Kurt tried to speak, but his voice was frozen.

"Some man came in and took her away." Another girl volunteered.

With a flash of anger, Kurt sparked back to life, his tail whipping madly. "How long ago?"

"About five minutes before you got here." Came the answer. He didn't even look to see which child had answered.

Finally, a little hand reached up and tugged at his collar. "Mister, I don't think she wanted to go with him." whispered the small girl that had been so curious about Rachel's arm and baby.

Kurt looked down at this forward child managed a small smile and nod her. "Thank you." He whispered to all of them. Maybe. Maybe it wasn't too late...

Storm turned to the German. "I'll take the children. You go find your wife." She ordered.

Kurt stood up tall, his body rigid with purpose.

"And Kurt." She smiled as she watched him come back to life. "Be careful." She warned.

"Always." He replied, with a tiny flourish, feeling hope spread back through his soul. With a brief nod, he teleported back to the cell and peered out the tiny window in the door. All he needed was to see where he was going.

* * *

Ben pulled the pregnant, exhausted woman roughly past a horrifying scene of dead soldiers crumpled on the floor like forgotten dolls. Rachel stumbled onto all fours as her shoe fell off. She had already lost the other one being dragged around a corner of the hall as Ben would not slow down for anything. Alarms blared with flashing red strobe lights browbeating them angrily. In the distance, Rachel could hear the sounds of gunfire and fighting.

"Get up!" Ben ordered harshly yanking her back up by her good arm. She yelped as her damaged ribs scraped against her lungs.

"Ben, please!" Rachel rasped, trying to get her footing back, now barefoot on the freezing floor..

While on her knees she saw her freedom on the hip on one of the dead soldiers. A taser. Perfect. She didn't need a hand gun; she was _not_ a good shot. She needed Ben either dead or totally incapacitated. At this point, she didn't care which.

Then she glanced at the ledge she had passed so many times on her way to and from her countless examinations. Her escape plan came into exacting clarity. Now all she had to do was get Ben to loose his focus for just a moment.

Self preservation had taught Rachel how to avoid making Ben angry at all costs. But, right now, she _needed_ him distracted. The best way to do that was to make him angry. The best way to make him angry...

As he stood there, hand snaked around her left arm, Rachel gave him an appraising stare. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because, I love you." Ben pulled her close and kissed her roughly.

His demanding tongue hit the defensive wall of her clinched teeth. When he finally pulled away, angry and thwarted, she gave him a condescending look. "Tell me, are you more upset that I love having sex with a mutant or that he got me pregnant?" She smiled as he snarled. "I mean, you tried for more than a year and couldn't manage it."

He tightened his grip on her, menacingly. But she continued her verbal assault. "Come on, Ben. How many times can you '_forget_' to put on a condom?" She looked at him patronizingly.

"Shut up, whore!" He hissed violently. His grip was so painful, she would have been on the floor if not for the remnants of pain killer rapidly dissipating in her system.

Rachel shrugged through the pain. "But, really Ben. Can you blame me? In two years, you made me orgasm, what? Three, four times?" She smiled at him again, her face a flippant mask in this play she was putting on for him. "Want to know how many times Kurt made me scream?" She leaned into him, sensuously and whispered. "Every single time he got inside me." She could tell Ben was almost at his breaking point. But he was no idiot. He knew she was trying to make him loose it and fought against it. Still, everything depended on who won this game. So, Rachel just kept pushing.

"So, needless to say, whenever, wherever, however he_ wanted_ it...he_ got_ it. Flat on my back, up against the wall, over a chair; on top of the counter." She chuckled. "Even once in an abandoned church in Hamburg. He had me on all fours singing in the choir loft. I swear to God, I heard angels."

OK, that last one was just one of her fantasies she had dreamed up to pass the time during mass, but it was also the last straw that sent Ben over the edge.

She barely had time to brace herself as a steel hand slapped her down. She landed on top of a dead body, that cushioned her fall. Even so, she still cried out as felt her rib cage try to absorb the trauma of her landing. Broken bones trying, fruitlessly, to bend and protect her. Her right arm exploded in agony as she landed on it. The side of her head burned like it was on fire where he'd landed his blow.

Hardly a second went by before she was forced to recover and rolled her awkward form away from Ben as he landed a violent kick in her kidney instead of her womb. A second kick, even harder than the last, made contact between her shoulder blades, knocking the wind out of her. Stars swam in front of her eyes as Rachel fought to stay conscious. She sprawled down over a dead soldier, his frozen dead face inches from hers. She had just a moment to unlatched his holster and slide her left hand over the taser gun before Ben yanked her up hard by her hair.

He belted her in the face like a heavy weight boxer. Blood flowed from her nose, down her lips and off her chin. "Why!?" He screamed at her, shaking her by her hair. "Why do you make me do this to you?!" He hit her again. She felt the strong metallic taste of blood in her mouth as he split her lip...again, more blood spilling down her face. "I love you! Why do you make me do this!?" His face was a horrifying mask of seething, demented hate as he tried to beat this woman back into the girl he loved so much.

His wild thoughts were frozen, though as Rachel pulled the trigger and electrode barbs launched into Ben's unsuspecting chest. The sound of electrically charged 'clicks' filled the hallway. His electrical system frozen, the handsome blond released her hair and fell to the floor, stiffly. She let the gun fall beside him still activated, then, leaning heavily on the wall for support, she made her way to the ledge.

* * *

Racing alternately between the floor and wall, Nightcrawler searched with a keen eye for his quarry. He had almost decided he was going the wrong way when he caught sight of something that didn't belong. A woman's shoe. He stopped, clutching the item for a moment. Then threw it to the ground and sped down the hallway again at the faint sound of a taser being fired.

* * *

Rachel managed to climb up on the ledge of the thick wall and on her hands and knees. Exhaust from the massive turbines far below blew warm air up into her face as she cautiously leaned over to examine the drop. It was a shadowy, grim sight; at least a hundred feet to the bottom. "That's good." she whispered to herself, trying to keep from hyperventilating in panic. "That's a good thing." She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift back to when she was five years old, clinging to the trapeze pole Kurt and Jemaine had convinced her to climb. She remembered the trapeze artist who finally convinced her to let go and drop with him into the waiting net.

"Its just like flying." She whispered, remembering his words, spoken in a deep, comforting voice. And, he had been right. For a few seconds, she remembered the sound of wind rushing past her and the feeling of being weightless as she fell like a stone.

When she opened her eyes, she fought against pain and panic as she struggled to stand and moved to the very edge. A eerie calm took over as she stared down into the abyss again. She turned around and backed her bare heels off the edge. Her toes scrunched up, helping to get a hold of the ledge.

She knew would never be able to out run or out maneuver the guards here. And, even if she made it to the surface... Then what? There was nothing for miles and miles except wilderness. She'd freeze to death before she found help. This was the only way she could make sure Stryker couldn't hurt her or her daughter anymore.

Rachel rubbed her round, taunt belly comfortingly, "I'm sorry little one. This was the only way."

She knew what she had to do.

_Just like flying. _

Shifting her weight back, she let gravity take hold of her and pull her off the ledge. Silently, she fell backwards into the dark.


	42. An End and A Beginning

NachtcGleikette – Now, now...you know I've been teasing you since the very beginning. Glad you stuck it out with me. :-)

Kitty234 – Timing is everything... :-)

xXSlightly-PsychoticXx – Too late...she already jumped...

BeautifulXinXBlood – Desperate indeed. Thanks for the head's up on the spelling – gotta love spell check. I probably need to get a beta reader, but I'm from the old school, back before we had such wonderful creatures. :-) Thanks for the cookies! White chocolate macadamia nut cookies? Yum!

* * *

Rachel felt the wind whipping her hair up around her face; her body was weightless as she fell. Her eyes closed, she sensed the ground getting closer and closer. Just another second. Then there was a sound. A quiet sound. A sound she knew she should recognize...

For a trapeze artist, nothing was more important than timing. It didn't matter how impressive or complicated your routine was or how well you could perform it. If the timing wasn't there you'd miss the bar every time and end up in the net. Or worse, you'd miss your partner and they would end up in the net. Had Kurt rounded the corner a second later, or Rachel found the courage to jump a second sooner, he would have never seen her disappearing over the ledge. For the first time, he was actually _thankful_ for the horrific abuse that had trained him to act instantly. Before, Alkali Lake, he would have been too horrified at seeing Rachel fall to do anything until it was too late. But, now – he leapt over the edge after her without a second thought. In the blink of an eye, he was back, sitting on the floor, holding his beloved wife tight in his arms.

Rachel opened her eyes, confused. Something was wrong...she was right back where she started. She had jumped, hadn't she? She hadn't just imagined it. Suddenly, she realized that someone was holding her. In front of her, she saw Ben Gammon lying still on the floor a few yards away, the taser's clicks slowing to a stop. Then, she caught a familiar, terrifying scent of brimstone. Shaking with trepidation, she dared a look down at the hands grasping her and let out a fierce, hoarse, terrified scream.

"Rachel!" Kurt held onto her as she struggled to get away from him. "Rachel, it's me!! Rachel!!" But he could not possibly yell louder than she was screaming. He tried to make her look at him, trying to hold her face in his hands and force her to meet his eyes. Instead, he let go a rare curse in guttural German as his wife bit his hand viciously, drawing blood. He released her and, clamping his hand shut against the burning pain, watched her hide in a corner a few feet away.

Kurt slowly approached the frightened woman as she huddled between the dingy walls and hard floor, crying and rocking back and forth. She kept her face covered with her hands. He could see a deep, vicious, bruise coiling up her right arm. A bruise _he'd_ left on her when...It was no wonder she was terrified. With effortless grace, he covered the short distance between them, crouched in front of her. "Rachel." He whispered.

Her mind screamed in despair. She couldn't even _die_ here! It had stolen their only escape. She'd be dragged back to her tiny cage like an animal and forced to surrender her daughter. Sobbing, Rachel tried hard not to imagine what Stryker was going to do to her baby. But she knew. He'd either dissect her like a lab animal or he'd turn her into the same kind of monster he'd turned her father into. The monster that loomed over her now. She couldn't stand it being so close. She couldn't stand to look at it. But, as the seconds ticked by in silence, Rachel's fingers slipped apart and she dangered a glimpse at it. What was it waiting for?? For orders? Maybe it just enjoyed her terror as she cowered from it. But when she met his eyes, she did not see a demon. She saw the soul of the man she loved.

Kurt held his breath as Rachel slowly lowered her hands. "Mein Gott..." he breathed, his eyes going wide with shock at his first good look at her. Her face was bloodied and starting to swell. She hardly resembled his wife. Her skin was gray and dull, her hair hung limply around her face in dirty, tangled strands. _What had they done to her?_ Even her eyes suffered. They were no longer bright orbs. They seem to be just empty, black voids. Trembling, she cradled her right arm over her chest. "Kurt?" It was so quiet and so timid, he might not have heard it at all if he hadn't seen her swollen, split lips move.

A lump of emotion stole his voice as he nodded. He reached his hand out to her.

"B-Blue?" Her lips trembled as she let herself have hope for the very last time. She stared at his outstretched hand.

Kurt found his voice, strained and choked, "Yes, Schatz. It's me."

A year ago he had come out of the shadows of the Munich Circus in the fading afternoon light. The same fear stabbed at his heart now as then.

'_Please...don't be afraid of me._'

With the last of her faith, she swallowed hard and reached towards him. Shaking, she touched his extended hand, hesitantly. He gave her a small encouraging smile. A second later, she broke down completely, sobbing wildly and clutching his hand for dear life.

Kurt closed the space between them and wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her, the other resting over his daughter. His own tears fell on top of her head as he held her to him. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." He sobbed unashamed, pleading for her forgiveness. After a moment, he pulled himself together and stared down at her. "Are you all right?" What a foolish question, he admonished himself. Just look at her! How could she _possibly_ be all right? "Come, Leibe. I'm going to get you out of here."

Rachel was too overwhelmed to speak. She clung to her Blue, having no other thoughts than the most primal of instincts to stay close to her mate for protection.

The two were so intent on each other, neither heard Ben getting up. The last of the taser playing out in his system, he came back under control of himself quickly. With predatory swiftness, he grabbed Rachel by the hair of her head and yanked her away.

Rachel screamed in pain and shock as he jerked her back against him. "I told you this wasn't over, bitch!" He hissed in her ear, remembering the last time he and Kurt had stood off against each other over the dark haired gypsy. She gave another pained cry as he laid his handgun on top of her belly and jabbed its black barrel into her ribs.

Kurt did not yell, or threaten, or even move. His expression was intense and deadly calm. He looked from Ben's eyes to Rachel's. She met his stare dead on. No fear, no panic. Just complete trust in him. Almost imperceptibly, she nodded.

"What's it gonna be, freak?" Ben taunted. "She is _mine_. I will kill her before I let you have her." He nudged the gun even further into Rachel burning ribs. "Think you can move faster than a bullet?"

A sinister twinkle lit in Nightcrawler's golden eyes. "Ja." he nodded with a ghost of a smile. "The question is, mein Freund..."

His tail snaked up behind him like a hypnotized cobra.

"_...Can you?"_

Kurt vanished in a burst of smoke. Instinctively, Ben pulled the trigger. But bullet missed its intended target as another instantaneous burst of brimstone spirited Rachel out his grip. It happened so fast, Ben didn't even feel the indiscriminate taste of the bullet...

Without Rachel's body between them, the bullet fired out of Ben's gun and into his own chest. Finally feeling the burn, he stared down, disbelieving at the bright red stain spreading down his white shirt. The gun fell from his fingers with a metallic clatter and he fell forward, alone, onto the cold cement.

* * *

The cold hit her like a shock wave as the fifth teleport brought them outside. Her head was spinning like a top. She winced against the brightness of the sun and the snow. Pushing away from Kurt slightly, he released her and she knelt down. She put her hands in the deep snow, watching it melt against her skin, cleaning the dirt and blood from her fingers. "I love snow..." she whispered to no one in particular.

Taking off his coat, Kurt wrapped it around her. "Come, Liebe." He urged, then stopped short at her peaceful, distant expression. It occurred to him that she had been held prisoner even longer that he had. And, this was her first taste of freedom in two Hell-filled months. He knew what he'd endured in that nightmare, but staring at his wife's vulnerable, abused form, he could only imagine what she had suffered.

"You always did like the snow." He said gently, kneeling beside her. He knew the jet was only one more 'bamf' away. After a moment, he helped her up and lifted her gently in his arms like a child. She gave no protest, shivering with cold, her bare feet and legs had turned red from burning snow. Getting the mental image in his mind, Kurt turned to see if she was ready, but saw that she had, mercifully, passed out. Kurt managed a little smile as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.

For a moment, he stood there contemplating all that had brought the three them to this point.

Looking at the ground below his feet, somewhere in the tunnels that made up Alkali Base, a battle was still waging. He turned his head to the horizon and thought of the very real possibility Mystique had warned him of; a full scale war between the two dominant species on this planet. Then he looked back at his tiny family, his human wife and his mutant daughter.

He knew, more than anything, he wanted them to be able to live in peace; and that was something he was willing to fight for. So, after his family was safe aboard the Blackbird, he returned to the base to take a stand beside his new friends.

And Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, took his place as one of the X-Men.

_- fin -_

* * *

Writer's note -

Well, that's it. My _very_ first fan fic. Hope y'all enjoyed reading it! I sure enjoyed writing it. For those of you maybe a little let down that we didn't get to 'meet' Kurt's daughter, I currently have a sequel going. ('Second Chance') Just go to my account to find it. Also, there is a short story bridge between the two stories.

Also – If there are any German speakers out there who'd be willing to act as an interpreter to an ignorant American who butchers her _own_ language, but doesn't want to butcher yours...

Finally - Thanks to everyone who read, and _especially_ to those who reviewed. It means the world!

Peace!


End file.
